New Years Resolutions
by Saranwyn
Summary: Every New Years Day, the Fuhrer hosts a party, and Mustang is required to go. So what does that mean? All his men are too - after all, misery loves company. Edward reluctantly agrees, but what happens when he finds himself alone in a closet with a very drunk Colonel? Warning: Yaoi! Don't like? Don't read! RoyEd
1. Chapter 1

Edward lifted a skeptical brow, but Riza just stared at him seriously. _She has to be joking,_ he thought. She was waiting for an answer, though it was clear she expected a yes.

"Th-the Fuhrer hosts a New Years Party?" he asked incredulously. The lieutenant nodded, mystified as to why Edward was so shocked. "And Colonel Mustang not only goes himself but requires all his men to go?" Again, a nod. Edward frowned.

"That's just ridiculous. Why would I go to this party at the Fuhrer's house?" Her brows raised slightly.

"Because the Colonel told you to?" she suggested. "Besides, the Fuhrer invites everyone, but he expects certain people to be there – including the Colonel – and if Mustang's going to suffer through it, he's going to make sure the rest of us do, too."

"And this happens every year?"

"Yes." The Fullmetal Alchemist sighed heavily, rubbing his forehead.

"Fine."

"Oh, and Al can't go. He's not in the military, therefore he's not invited." Edward frowned and crossed his arms. This New Years was going to suck.

"Whatever. I guess I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

"No, I don't think you do. Anyways, You have to be there at nine PM tomorrow. Try not to be too late."

"Alright. See you then, I guess." The First Lieutenant saluted and then walked off. Edward frowned deeply and headed out of the office as well. Usually, he and Al went down to visit Winry and Granny for New Years. In fact, he'd already gotten them tickets for the first train down that morning, but it looks like only Al would be going. Figures the Colonel would even find a way to ruin his vacation time.

Nine PM the next day:

The Fuhrer's manor practically glowed with light. Every window gleamed a warm gold and lights graced its proud exterior. The Fuhrer himself stood at the open door to greet people with a warm smile, for once not in uniform. To be honest, Edward found it more than a little disconcerting. Normally, Bradley was a stern man. The image of him, dressed in a suit, grinning and greeting people like a social butterfly was just…strange.

"Ah! The Fullmetal Alchemist!" he greeted Edward, seizing his hand and shaking it. "Welcome, Major Elric."

"Th-thanks," the teen muttered, pulling his hand away perhaps too quickly. He seemed too disarming.

"It's a pleasure to have you," the Fuhrer replied. "Please, go in an enjoy yourself!" Edward stepped into the manor. The contrast of heat to the biting chill of the night made his ears sting and his metal joints ache a little. Unsure of what to wear, he'd dressed as he usually did. Now, he felt horribly out of place. Everyone else was not only older than him but also dressed up. His eyes scanned the crowd, searching for someone he knew. Perhaps Havoc or Breda. Hell, he'd even settle for tagging along with Fuery.

"I'm glad to see you got the memo," a smoky voice behind him drawled. The blonde turned, lips parting to snap some snide remark to the Colonel for ruining his chance to go home, but the words never emerged. Mustang was dressed in a black, tailored suit – of course, logically, it made sense that he was dressed up; everyone else was, after all, but he'd never seen the Colonel so…well…fancy. Normally, Mustang went for the sort of rugged look, but now, his hair was slicked back, his clothes were pristine and hugging his form slightly. Edward had never noticed how long and slender his commanding officer's legs were… "You know, it's not polite to stare, Fullmetal, and you should close your mouth before you start to drool," Mustang teased, a wicked smirk curling his lip. Edward looked away, scoffing. _What was I just thinking?_ He criticized inwardly.

"I was just shocked to see you out of your uniform," he muttered. "And, you know, looking like you actually **care** what you look like."

"Well, it is a formal event. It's only appropriate to dress up." The comment was accompanied by a casual glance down Edward's form. "Which it seems you forgot to do." Now, the boy flushed and looked away.

"Whatever, I just didn't know what else to wear."

"Oh, Fullmetal," the second person that Edward didn't actually want to run into commented, coming up beside Mustang. Riza was wearing a dress – a periwinkle, **sparkly** dress with only one sleeve. Ed shook his head, amazed. He half-expected to see the lieutenant in her uniform, still. "Don't look so shocked. I came escorting Mustang, so I had to dress appropriately."

"Y-you're escorting Mustang?" Edward asked.

"Not as a date, just as a guest. It's common enough. I'm glad you showed up, actually. This is a good time to learn a little about office politics."

"I'm not interested in office politics," the Fullmetal Alchemist replied, shrugging. "I'm just here because you said I didn't have a choice. Now, how soon do I get to leave?"

"You can't leave until at least one o'clock," Mustang informed him.

"What?! What am I going to do for that long?" Edward demanded.

"Socialize. Meet new people. Get something to eat and drink – but don't touch the alcohol. You're still a minor, after all."

"You're not my dad, you know." And with that, the blond turned and walked off, huffing slightly. Mustang watched him go, shaking his head in amusement.

"Typical that he'd come dressed as he usual is…" the colonel muttered. A small smile touched his lips. "I suppose that's part of what makes him who he is."

"Dressing casually?" Riza asked.

"Flaunting his disregard for social convention." They watched as Edward made his way through the crowd to the buffet table, where he got a plate of food before heading over to a corner to eat alone. "Figures he'd actually be a loner…"

"You care to go join him, sir?"

"No, no. I've got people to talk to before I get some to eat and drink. You're dismissed, for now, so…run along and enjoy yourself." The first lieutenant grimaced.

"You know I like parties about as much as you do, sir. They're a security nightmare, and I've only got two guns on me…it's unsettling."

"Well, misery loves company, but I'll only keep you here until midnight. I can walk home, so there's no need for you to stick around to drive me."

"Thank you, sir. I may just take you up on that offer." He chuckled, knowing that, as usual, she would take the earliest moment she could to flee the party. The two of them split up to mingle in the crowd.

Edward sighed heavily, eyes scanning the crowd. He felt out of place and incredibly **bored**. Seriously, what was the point of this party, anyways? He had left his little corner only to wander the outskirts of the party, hands shoved deep into his pockets. _This totally sucks,_ he thought. Around this time he and Winry and Al and Granny would be sitting around the table, sipping hot chocolate and eating cookies and chatting. He would loosen up and go along with Winry's jokes just to humor her, this once. He sighed wistfully. In the past, he'd always brushed off the holiday gathering as a necessary event that he always sort of tolerated. Now, he thought he'd have given anything to be there. _I wonder how they're doing without me…_he wondered absently. _Do they miss me at all?_ He frowned. _Probably not…I mean, they probably are just all relaxing, having fun._ His frown deepened. _While I'm stuck here. I swear, I'm gonna kick that colonel's butt for this._ _This is my vacation time!_

"Why th' long face?" Havoc asked, approaching him. His voice was slightly slurred and his cheeks rosy. _Figures he'd get drunk,_ Edward noted.

"Nothing. I just…have plans this time of year."

"Yeah…I did, too…'fore I started working for th' Colonel. Y'know, I'd take my girlfriend out. Somewhere nice, y'know?"

"We used to go visit Granny and Winry…like a real family."

"I think th; Colonel jus' likes makin' the rest of us suffer 'cause he's gotta come to this thing…"

"I know. I think so, too."

"Ooh, ooh…they're gonna start the countdown soon." Havoc winked at Edward. "I'm gonna kiss Hawkeye." Then, he sauntered off. The Fullmetal Alchemist rolled his eyes and went to find some corner to hide in. Suddenly, a hand grabbed him and yanked him into…a closet? The door shut, encapsulating him in complete darkness, but before he could fight his attacker, a gloved finger was being held to his lips.

"Shhh…jus' me, Fullmetal," Mustang whispered, his hot breath washing over the boy's cheek. Edward scowled as he smelled the strong scent of whiskey.

"Is everyone here other than me freaking drunk?!" he demanded hotly.

"Yes," came the breathy reply. "Keep yer voice down."

"Why? Let go of me!"

"Shhh…no, no. Stay here."

"How much have you had to drink?"

"Too much…can't talk to people…like this. Might say something…dangerous."

"Yeah, so why the hell are you talking to me?" Edward found himself hissing under his breath, though he didn't really know why he wasn't just smacking the man and leaving. In his inebriated state, it was unlikely the Flame Alchemist could keep him there against his will.

"Cuz I can trust you."

"No you can't, because right now I want nothing more than to beat you up, bastard." Suddenly, Mustang's lips were right by his ear, brushing against his lobe when he spoke.

"I love it when you get angry…"

"Wh-what the hell?!" The teen found himself being pushed into a bunch of coats, pinned against the wall with a surprising amount of strength, for a drunk guy.

"Oh, they're counting already," the older man whispered. Outside the closet, Edward could hear the shouted, "Ten…nine…eight…seven…six…" He swallowed hard. Wasn't it a tradition to kiss at the end of the counting? That was something he'd never done, but…well, no way would Mustang actually kiss him, right? "Three…" the colonel breathed. "Two…one." A hot, insistent pair of lips crashed onto his own. Edward let out a muffled squeak of surprise. He could dimly hear people cheering outside, but everything seemed to slow down and quiet against the soft, massaging pressure of his commanding officer's lips against his own. The colonel had one arm wrapped around his waist and the other cupping his jaw, pulling him closer. The kiss seemed to simultaneously only last a second and an eternity. And then it was over and Edward could feel Mustang's breath fluttering on his dampened mouth. That was when it caught up to him what had just happened. He flushed and clapped a hand over his mouth. _That was my first kiss?!_ He thought. The hand on his jaw pulled away and he heard a snap before a small flame came to hover over Mustang's fingers.

"What was that for?!" the teen demanded, finally finding his voice.

"Shhh, there are so many better uses for your adorable, little mouth than yelling at me, right now."

"You're drunk."

"Completely smashed."

"You…ahem…kissed me."

"And you liked it." Edward was speechless with shock, though he honestly couldn't really contradict the statement – not that he would **ever** admit that.

"D-did not," he protested much more weakly than he'd meant to.

"Then why is your heart beating so fast? I saw the way you were staring at me earlier." The black-haired man smirked. "Maybe…this is as much a revelation for you…as it was for me." Edward swallowed hard. Now that he could actually **see** Mustang, it was much harder to talk to him. A few strands of hair hand come out of place, and his shirt and jacket were a little rumpled. His cheeks were flushed slightly and his eyes a little unfocused from the whiskey.

"That's it. I'm taking you home." Summoning his courage and hoping no one would notice them coming out of the closet together – that would've been hard to explain – Edward opened the door and pulled Mustang out. To his utter relief, Mustang had been right when he said everyone was drunk, and no one was really paying attention to them. The colonel allowed him to lead him across the room to the door.

"Leaving so soon?" the Fuhrer asked, surprisingly sober.

"Yeah, this idiot's had too much to drink so I just want to make sure he gets home without killing himself," Edward replied when Mustang said nothing. With that, the teen dragged his superior officer off. "Why didn't you say anything?" he demanded as they trudged down the snow-covered road.

"I was afraid of what might come out of my mouth." The boy scowled.

"You're useless," he grumbled.

"You don't mean that," Mustang replied, his fingers tightening around the automail hand. The blonde rolled his eyes. There was no point in arguing with the colonel. "So adorable."

"What did you just call me?!"

"I said you're absolutely adorable."

"I'm not a kid, you know!" Silence. Edward glanced back at the man, who was just staring at him pensively. He scoffed and quickened his pace. The two of them went into Mustang's apartment building and practically jogged up the three flights of stairs to his apartment.

"Slow down…making my head hurt," Mustang muttered, a comment which was ignored by the young major.

"Keys?" Edward asked, holding out his hand. The colonel frowned and began to fumble around for them, patting his pockets until they finally found them. The Fullmetal Alchemist took them and unlocked the door, letting the both of them in. Mustang shrugged out of his suit jacket and shuffled to his room. Edward followed him awkwardly. _I guess I'll just make sure he gets into bed okay,_ he thought. _He looks kind of…helpless, right now._ Mustang began to try to remove his shirt, fumbling with the buttons and failing miserably. The teen chuckled and moved forward to do it for him.

"Ed…" the black-haired man breathed. "Y-your knuckles keep skimming my chest…turning me on. Especially the automail…"

"Sh-shut up! I'm just taking care of you because you're drunk!" Suddenly, Mustang captured his hands, drawing him closer.

"Then you should take care of me properly." To emphasize his point, he lowered the boy's hands to the bulge growing in his pants. Edward gasped and yanked away.

"Hell, no!" The older man pouted slightly.

"You're just going to leave me like this?"

"Yes!"

"But…don't you want me, too?" The teen prodigy was struck mute with shock at the simply-put, honest question. His mouth opened and shut silently as his mind grappled for words. Mustang now removed his gloves and tossed them aside, his bare hands coming up to caress the boy's cheeks. "Please don't say you feel nothing…not when my heart is pounding like this." Inside, the boy was panicking, even as one hand captured his own – the flesh one – and pressed it to the man's bare chest. He could feel the man's pulse, beating a rapid tattoo against his fingertips. Edward swallowed hard and tried to look away, but Mustang's hand on his cheek wouldn't let him. "Say something!"

"I…I…You're drunk. You don't mean any of this, so I'm just going to walk away and pretend like none of this ever happened, and then everything will return to normal." Apparently, that was the wrong answer, because Mustang's mouth came crashing down on his a second later, and a tongue forced its way into his mouth. Edward gasped, but found himself whimpering into the kiss, anyways. Everything was getting muddled and confused in his head, and he couldn't concentrate on one thought long enough to think it all the way through. _Why is his mouth so goddam distracting?_ He mused hazily. Mustang pulled away, panting.

"I'm drunk, but I'm not lying," he whispered.

"What do you want me to say?!" the teen demanded, more than a little distressed.

"The truth! Do you feel anything?"

"And if I say no?"

"You're lying!"

"Then why are you even asking?"

"I…I want…need to hear you say it…just once." The flustered boy felt like he was about to cry. He was so confused, and he couldn't think straight after the fiery kiss he'd just received. "Edward…tell me how you feel." The boy swallowed hard, staring into those once-piercing eyes, now clouded with alcohol and lust. His commanding officer looked desperate, staring anxiously at him as if these next words would determine his fate.

"I…I do-don't know," Edward replied hesitantly, but the totally defeated look on the other man's face spurred him to continue. "But wh-when I see you, I get so flustered, and when you smile at me, it makes me so ridiculously happy. When you touch me, it's like you're lighting me on fire. And when you k-kissed me…" he blushed but forced himself to continue. "When you kissed me, it felt…right. Bu-but I don't even know what I'm saying any more! I'm so confused and nothing comes out the way I think it will and-!" He was silenced by another kiss. Soft, this time – gentle.

"Thank you, Ed. That's just what I needed to hear." Edward blushed and gently propelled Mustang to the bed. The man sat down and let the boy take off his shoes for him.

"Get some sleep, Colonel. I'll see you when the break is over."

"Come tomorrow?"

"Can't. I've got a train ride to Risembool to catch in the morning." Mustang's face fell almost comically.

"Of course…you have a real family, after all." Edward felt a pang of guilt run through him. The man looked so lonely, even as now he offered him a small smile. "Have fun on your vacation." The alchemist prodigy pushed the other man down into the bed.

"Get some sleep…okay?"

"Yeah."

"Bye…Roy." He leaned down and brushed his lips shyly against the older man's. Mustang returned the gesture, just as sweetly.

"Bye Ed." Then, the teen went, got a glass of water and some pain pills from the kitchen and left them on the colonel's nightstand. He'd need them in the morning. With a small smile, he walked away.

Three days later:

Mustang glanced up as Edward came into his office. The boy was uncharacteristically shy, simply walking over to the couch and sitting down quietly, casting a furtive glance up at the colonel. Apparently Fullmetal had taken him home after the Fuhrer's party. He had been too drunk to remember a thing.

"Um…I just wanted to see if you needed me." Mustang lifted a brow. Edward rarely actually asked for more missions. "I mean, for a mission or whatever." Now the colonel frowned. What else could he have meant? A thought dawned upon him and horror struck through him. It was all he could do to keep his cool.

"I – ahem – I heard you walked me home after the Fuhrer's party."

"Yeah."

"Thank you. I appreciate it."

"N-no problem."

"Did something…weird happen?"

"Y-you don't remember anything?"

"No? Is there something I should have remembered?" Mustang asked with a growing sense of dread. _Dammit, I swear, if I told Fullmetal __**that**__, I will never drink a drop of alcohol, again!_ He vowed. Meanwhile, a wave of relief washed over Edward. _If he doesn't remember anything, then there's no reason to bring it up, right?_

"No, sir. Nothing." Then, he smiled wickedly. "I've just never seen you stumble around like a drunk idiot before." Mustang was too relieved to be angry at the jibe.

"Well, I'm sorry you had to see me like that," he murmured. And right then and there, he made his New Year's Resolution: he would never tell Edward how he really felt. At the same moment, Edward was making his own resolution: he would never, **ever** tell Mustang what had really happened the night of the party.

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Hehe, just a little one-shot. I couldn't write anything else until I got this one out of my head, so now that's done I can return to my other writings. Read and Review! :)


	2. Chapter 2

I said I wasn't going to continue, but DeathNoteLover235 asked me to, and she's a friend of mine, so...consider the rest of this fic dedicated to DNL235 :) R&R please!

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Edward wrapped his arms around himself, shivering against the cold as he trudged through the snow towards the train station. It was times like these when a tiny part of him envied his brother. Of course, the instant that thought entered his head, he kicked it out, reminding himself that Alphonse led a cursed existence because of him. Still, he hated the cold. He hated the way it burned his nose and lungs and the way it made his automail stick and the way it turned his cheeks and ears red. And now, he hated the way it reminded him of Mustang in a suit looking dashing and so damn **grown-up.** He knew it was stupid to think of it that way – the colonel was far older than him, but normally, the way he bickered with him and the way he would slump moodily in his seat when he had too much paperwork, or the way he let his hair hang in his face covered that up. When he was dressed so sharply, hair slicked out of his eyes, that small, polite smile on his face, he looked so mature and **dashing**. _Dammit! Did I really just think of Mustang as dashing?! What the Hell is wrong with me?!_

"…Ed…Ed…ED!" He blinked.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"I've been calling your name for like…ten minutes. You totally spaced out!"

"Oh, sorry. What is it, Al?" His younger brother sighed.

"We have to hurry or we're going to miss our train. It's already noon." Edward gasped, stumbling into a run.

"Come on!" Their train left in just fifteen minutes. Honestly, he was more than ready to get out of Central. It had been a week since he'd gotten back from vacation – on long, torturous, awkward week of shyly mumbling everything he said to his commanding officer and avoiding him whenever possible. He could've cried with joy when he learned he was getting sent all the way down to some tiny outpost in the deep south of Amestris to handle some small uprising. He'd booked the first possible train out of Central City and made plans to stay away as long as he could justify. What he needed was a break from Mustang just to figure out how to handle the new situation. That was all. Just a break to get his bearings, and then things would be back to normal. They got on the train and took their seats just half a minute before it left the station.

"You've never been so excited to go on a mission before, Ed. Is everything okay?" Al asked curiously. Edward grinned.

"Yup! Everything's great. I just got bored, you know?"

"Y-yeah…if you say so." _Finally, I won't have to go into the office and see him sitting there and be reminded of that warm, sensual mouth on mine and the taste of whiskey and __**him**__ on my tongue. The feel of his hands on my waist and cheek, pulling me closer. That dark, smoldering gaze, burning right through me…_He shook himself from his thoughts. _I have got to stop this!_ he told himself severely. _No more thinking about __**him**__!_ He took a deep breath and stared out the window.

Alphonse watched his brother, who had his eyes glued to the landscape outside his window. This past week, he'd been acting really strangely, especially when he was with Colonel Mustang. He would blush a lot and he would talk quietly and he refused to meet the other man's eyes. But even when he wasn't with the colonel, he spaced out a lot and he would moan in his sleep, but it didn't sound like the nightmares he usually had. _I wonder what's wrong with him? Maybe something happened over vacation – but what could affect him for this long? Maybe he came across something in his research that's got him acting weird? He always acts strange when he's trying to keep a secret._

Edward closed his eyes, exhaling deeply. Maybe he could get a little sleep. He could use some rest. Recently, his nights had all been disturbed by dreams he **really** didn't want to be having. Of course, the only thing worse than having those dreams, he thought, was having those dreams on the train where anyone would see him, and Al said he moaned sometimes, but his younger brother seemed to think it was just nightmares. For that, he was beyond grateful. He opened his eyes, deciding it was best to just stay awake, but with nothing to occupy his time, he found himself slowly dropping off to sleep, anyways. The rhythm of the train was soothing, carrying him away from his troubles, lulling him into a peaceful slumber…

_Hot, sensual lips pressed against his own, chaste at first, but not for long. A slick, invading tongue slid into his mouth. He tasted smoke and whiskey and warm spices in an erotic blend that made him groan for more. Strong, calloused hands slid up his shirt, rubbing up and down his body, causing him to arch with need. He gasped as his mouth was freed, sucking in a lungful of fresh air and flinging his head back with pleasure as his lover's mouth attacked his throat, neck and shoulders. The next thing he knew, his shirt was off and his bare chest was rubbing against white silk._

_"Edward," a low, sultry voice purred in his ear as those large, warm fingers began to knead and massage his back and waist. He threaded his fingers through soft, ebony hair, marveling at how silky-smooth it was all slicked back the way it was. "Edward." His only reply was a strangled moan. "Let me show you how adults do it. Do you want that?" He nodded vigorously through the haze of lust as his lover dropped his hips to rub their erections together. "Feel how fast my heart is beating, Ed. Feel how fast __**your**__ heart is beating, too. In perfect time. This is meant to be."_ _Oh, how Edward loved being romanced by those sweet – if suggestive – words whispered in that low, seductive tone. His arms wrapped around the other's broad shoulders, fingers clinging desperately to his silk shirt. "Ed…Ed…"_

"Ed!" Al awoke him by shaking him hard. His eyes snapped open. "You were moaning. Another nightmare?" Al didn't mention that it didn't sound like a nightmare. The truth was, he didn't know **what** it sounded like, but he figured if his brother said it was a nightmare, there was no reason to pry further.

"Y-yeah…" Ed stammered, blushing profusely and looking away. "Thanks for waking me up." He glanced around to see if anyone else had noticed, but no one was giving him any strange looks, so he supposed his secret was still intact. He let out a sigh of relief and sat up straight to avoid falling asleep, again.

Mustang sat at his desk, staring at the mountain of unfinished paperwork heaped before him. He checked his watch. Edward should be gone by now. A small sigh of relief escaped his lips. At least for a while he wouldn't have to worry about Edward finding out his secret. The boy had been acting weird ever since he'd gotten back from vacation, causing Mustang to second-guess that he'd actually not said or done anything weird while drunk, at the party, but he said nothing happened, so the colonel had little choice but to believe him. After all, he couldn't go up to him and ask, "Did I confess my love to you while I was drunk?"

"Sir, are you alright?" Hawkeye asked. He looked up at her, surprised by her gentle tone. Usually she was the real disciplinarian in the office.

"Hm? Y-yeah. Why?"

"You've been sighing all day…all week, actually. Is something the matter?"

"No, it's nothing."

"In that case," he heard the telltale _click_ of a gun cocking. "GET BACK TO WORK!" He groaned and set to filling out paperwork. He hated paperwork. More than anything. He abhorred it with a passion. But it was part of the job, and **someone** had to do it. _I should've told Ed to call every once in a while when he's gone,_ he thought. _That way I could make sure he was okay. After all, he is being sent into a pretty dangerous mission. _Then, he frowned, kicking that idea out of his head. Part of the reason he'd given the boy the mission was to get some distance from him. They both needed a break from each other, just to regain their footing. _You've been hiding it this long, Roy,_ he told himself. _There's nothing about it different, now._ He flushed slightly. _Except recently Ed's been acting so shy and vulnerable…so tempting to just jump his bones._ He forced a scowl and dragged his mind back to the paperwork.

Hawkeye glanced back over at her colonel, now working diligently on the papers piled on his desk, and frowned. He'd been acting strangely recently. Usually, she knew exactly what was wrong with him, but right now, she had no idea what was bothering him. And no matter how she approached it, she couldn't get him to tell her. She didn't like that. She was used to being his sole confidant. She knew everything about him, and he knew everything about her – and that was the way it was supposed to be. She'd deduced that it had **something** to do with the night of the Fuhrer's New Year's party, but she couldn't imagine what. _Maybe he did something embarrassing when he was drunk?_ she thought, but from the few instances she could recall of Mustang getting drunk, he was usually the quiet, sullen type of drunk, just sitting in a corner and saying nothing.

She sighed and shook her head. If it was important, Mustang would tell her, right? Just because he usually kept her informed about every, little thing didn't mean he was obligated to keep it that way. She was his lieutenant, not his best friend. It was really none of her business what went on in his personal life. The mere idea of that though stung her, though. She liked to think she was privy to Mustang's personal life – she knew he would've been if she had a personal life. Well, until recently, she hadn't been aware **he** had a personal life, either, outside a few one-night-stands on Friday nights. _Maybe he just needs to relieve some stress. Should I suggest he take off early tonight and get himself some nice woman to take to bed?_ She mused, trying to fight off the idea that **she** could be that woman. _No. I can__**not **__be that woman – I can never be that woman,_ she reminded herself sternly. _I'm his subordinate – it would interfere with our work, endanger his career, his goals, everything._

She had always admired Mustang, always felt for him perhaps something deeper than their relationship had ever afforded. She could remember countless hours, watching him and her father practicing alchemy. She remembered first feeling the uncomfortable warmth swell up in the pit of her stomach when she saw him, shirtless, in the courtyard on a hot, summer day. She'd been thirteen, then. She remembered quickly learning to squelch those feelings so she could stay by his side, when he joined the military. She remembered the tingly feeling that ran down her spine as she bared her back to him over and over so he could analyze her father's work, the little shocks of electricity when he would absently trace part of the scarlet tattoo there. She remembered how much it was like that same feeling when she allowed him to sear the tattoo off her back, abolishing the technique her father had developed.

"Colonel," she called softly. "Why don't you take a half day today?" He looked up at her and she realized – partially disappointed – that she'd train out the fluttery reaction in the stomach she used to get form his gaze.

"Why would I do that?" he asked.

"You look stressed. I was thinking you could find a nice partner to relax you," she replied, completely unashamed. His eyes narrowed slightly at her, then he shrugged.

"Maybe this weekend. I've got enough work to do, right now." She nodded and turned her attention back to her own work. She wasn't about to push him to have sex. Mustang frowned at her and then shook his head. _Man, I must really be acting differently if she'd go so far as to offer me a half day to go "relieve" some stress,_ he thought. _Then again, maybe that's just what I need. I mean, Hell, just because I like Edward doesn't mean I can't have sex with someone else. Sex has never been about love, for me._ He shook his head, a wry smile tugging on his lips. _I can't believe I'm actually dwelling on this kind of thing. It's always been a spur-of-the-moment whim, not a calculated decision._ He glanced up and noticed Hawkeye watching him out of the corner of her eye. Exhaling forcefully, he determined to get himself together before she really got on his case. Edward was gone – he could worry about him later.


	3. Chapter 3

Nickelton, named for its once-rich nickel mines, was barely big enough to be called a town. Its total population was probably only a little more than 100 people. Of course, that had its ups and downs. It meant for sure that whoever had the most power among the people was probably the leader of the rebel group, but it also meant that infiltrating the group would be hard, as well-known as he was, and there was no hope of a sneak attack. So, Edward had stopped in South City, dropped off Al, and disguised himself. His hair was now dyed bright red and he'd done away with his usual outfit in favor of a light green tank top – looser than his usual black – a blue jacket to cover his arms, black gloves, loose, dark green pants, and brown boots. Looking in the mirror, he'd hardly have recognized himself.

Now, as he approached the tiny spec of relative civilization on foot – the last train stop was about twenty miles north in a slightly larger town – he hoped his disguise would work. If things went poorly, he couldn't count on anyone's help to get him out of it. Not that he needed help, he didn't, but sometimes it was nice to have someone, just in case. People whispered and stared at him as he made his way through the town to an inn. He pushed open the door and welcomed the warmth on his stinging, frigid face. Smiling, he walked over to the bar and sat down, combing his fingers through his hair to get it out of his face.

"What can I get for you, boy?" the bartender asked, leaning against the counter. It was not quite sunset, so Edward figured he had a little time before the taproom filled up.

"I'll just have a water," he replied. Even if he was old enough to drink, he wanted to be on his wits.

"You expecting trouble?" the older man asked as he got Edward his water. The teen grinned. At least now he knew the portly, greying man didn't seem opposed to the idea of under-aged drinking. That was valuable information.

"Nah, but I like to be ready, just in case." He took the offered mug and took a gulp. Walking all day had really taken it out of him, though he'd gotten pretty used to doing crazy things for his missions. "Besides, I've been walking all day. I don't feel much like drinking or doing much of anything."

"Walking all day? You in a hurry to get somewhere?"

"Not really. I'm just…taking a bit of a vacation."

"Oh? Well, how far are you planning to go?"

"I don't know. Might go all the way down to Aerugo."

"That far! By foot? You know, you could've gotten a car to take you or taken a different train route east of here…"

"I know, but I thought maybe the journey would be good for me. You know, I'm trying to…get away a little bit." Edward took another drink. He had to play his cards right. Come off as too willing with information and he'd be suspected right away. Too stingy and they'd pass him right up and usher him on his way.

"Aren't you worried about those terrorists in this area?" The Fullmetal Alchemist lifted a brow. Now **that** was a pivotal question.

"Ah, they only attack those military dogs, right? I got nothing to worry about, if that's the case. From what I heard they leave anyone non-military alone, right?"

"I guess that's for you to judge. If you think you're safe, I won't discourage you from traveling on your own."

"Well, I've got no one for company at the moment, so I don't have much of an option. You got anything to eat? I'm starving."

"Sure, how about some beef stew?"

"Sounds great. How much? I'm a little strapped for cash at the moment." The barkeeper's eyes narrowed slightly and then he smiled.

"Free if you stay a day and work the bar tomorrow during the slow hours." Edward pretended to ponder the offer for a while as if weighing his options.

"Alright, but I can't stay too long. I want to keep moving," he conceded. The barkeeper nodded understandingly and got him his stew. Edward dug in excitedly. After all, he hadn't eaten all day. "Mmm! So good to finally eat!" he moaned his appreciation.

"Aren't you young to be out here by yourself?" The teen's amber eyes flashed up to meet the other man's brown ones. He looked away.

"Um, yeah, I'm fifteen, so I'm not **that **young." He noted the barkeeper's dubious look but pretended to ignore it. "So what about sleeping arrangements? Am I out on the street or can I convince you to refer me to a free bed somewhere?"

"I'll put you up for the night, since I'm making you stay. Can't really kick a kid out on the curb, now can I?"

"You wouldn't be the first, and you probably won't be the last," the Alchemist replied casually. The door opened and he cast a suspicious glance over his shoulder. The barkeeper grinned and waved.

"Hey, Liam. Someone beat you here, for once." The newcomer, Liam, sat down right next to Edward and scanned him down, obviously appraising him. He was a tall, thin man with narrow, grey eyes – hauntingly familiar - and thick, coal-black hair that just barely brushed his shoulders. He had a wolfish smile and a cold, calculating gaze. Actually, he looked unnervingly like Colonel Mustang.

"Who's this kid?" he asked. Edward frowned slightly. _Talking about me as if I'm not even here…how annoying. Sounds like something Mustang would do, too. Just what I needed. Someone who reminded me of __**him**__…_

"Traveler. He walked all the way down here from our next door neighbors," the barkeeper replied.

"Thomas Quinn," Edward introduced himself, offering his left hand to the man. Liam tilted his head curiously but took it.

"Liam Bishop," he replied. "You left handed?"

"Yeah, sorry. You'd think I'd have broken the habit by now, but some things just stick with you," the teen replied. He'd rather not have anyone find out about his automail, if he could avoid it. The less there was to connect him to Edward Elric, the better.

"How long are you in town?"

"Just a day to pay off my debt for room and board, then I plan to keep heading south." The barkeeper brought Liam a drink and settled back down against the bar.

"What brings you down this far?" _He's pretty pushy with the questions and offering no information about himself. He's probably used to being in charge. Maybe this is just my lucky day…_Edward noted.

"Spontaneous vacation."

"On foot?"

"What can I say? I'm a free spirit." Soon after that, the inn filled up and Edward was left on his own. A few more people chatted with him, but none of them were very pushy. However, the teen couldn't help but notice that Liam and a group of men and women he was sitting with were watching him. It also didn't take him long to notice that the person of real influence in the bar – which probably translated to the entire town – was Liam, himself. The man drank free – either on the house or paid for by others – and he seemed constantly surrounded by people without actually being too involved with them. From what Edward gathered over the night, the governor of the town, a man named Callis, had lost public face in some fraud or another and Liam, the prosecutor for the town had stepped up during the chaos, quickly gaining public favor. Now, he was the de facto mayor, legality aside.

The only other person that really stood out was a woman who sat in the corner, drank water, and spoke to no one. On occasion, her startlingly green eyes would lock with Liam's, but only for a moment and then they'd continue scanning the room. Her brown hair was pulled back into a tight bun, accentuating her strong jaw and broad features. Edward also noticed that she spent a decent amount of time watching him in a way that made him feel like a mouse in a snake cage. _Looks like I've found the root of this rebellion,_ he thought. _This is easier than I thought it'd be. I hope this isn't some sort of false start. _

After several hours of sitting their, sipping his water and listening to the chatter and feeling those unnerving eyes on his back – he swore the look Liam had in his eyes was so much like Mustang's – Edward got the barkeeper to show him his room. He went in, shut the door, and sagged against it, his eyes falling shut. If the colonel was thin and bookish, he swore he'd look just like Liam. _Just my luck,_ he thought glumly. _Even when I'm away from him, that idiot's got to haunt me!_ Groaning, he went to the bathroom to brush his teeth, undress, and crawl into bed, exhausted. _Please,_ he prayed silently. _Please don't let me dream of Mustang._ But even as he started to fade from consciousness, an image of his colonel rose up in his mind's eye, and he knew his wish wouldn't be granted.

_"Edward," Mustang murmured into his ear. "It gets you hot when I dress like this, doesn't it?" The boy shuddered and suppressed the urge to answer emphatically, "yes!" The colonel chuckled breathily. "You know, I got all dressed up just for you. Just so you could enjoy taking it off of me." Edward moaned and crushed their lips together, grinding his hips against the older man's. "That is…unless you'd prefer me to keep them on." Edward broke the kiss, panting harshly. He could imagine it now: the silk rubbing against his bare skin, all rumpled and stained with sweat and semen while the older man ploughed into him; his hair no longer impeccably slicked back but disheveled and glistening with sweat and hair gel; hard, plastic buttons pressing into his back when his lover leaned over to suck on his neck._

_"Oh, that!" he pleaded, clinging to Mustang's jacket. "I want that!" The colonel smirked that wicked, beautiful smirk of his and gave the boy a butterfly-soft kiss, just a fleeting brush of the lips that left Edward feeling parched for more. _

_"Anything for you, my kinky, little sex-fiend," he murmured, his teasing far more loving than usual. Edward even forgot to get angry at being called little. Suddenly, he was being stripped of his clothes, his skin caressed all over. A whimper escaped his lips as a large, calloused hand wrapped around his erection. "You like that?" Mustang purred, rubbing up and down slowly. The blonde fisted his hands into the man's jacket, his lips parted in deep, gasps of pleasure. The colonel's other hand was on his waist, pulling him close. "What else? Tell me more of what you want." Edward forced the man away so that he could turn around and get on his hands and knees suggestively. He heard a groan of pleasure behind him and the sound of pants unzipping. _

_"Yes, please," he panted. Mustang pushed into him in one, hard thrust, causing his back to arch with pleasure. "Ah! R-Roy!"_

_"Edward. Oh, Ed. You feel amazing. Call out my name again." He pulled out and pushed back in quickly, building up a steady rhythm._

_"Roy! Roy!" the boy cried out shamelessly with each thrust, unable to hold back. Mustang latched onto his neck, sucking on the sensitive flesh there. Their bodies writhed against each other, slamming together and pulling apart only to come together again. Their breaths came in deep, ragged pants. And those large, calloused hands were everywhere, and it just felt so good, and Ed knew he couldn't last long,_

_"You can come," Roy whispered. "You can come as much as you want, so don't hold back. You will be sated, I promise." Edward screamed with the force of his released as he convulsed in on himself, almost collapsing except for one of Mustang's arms wrapping firmly around him to support him. "I love you, Edward," the black-haired man whispered, still moving in and out of him. "I love you!"_

Edward jolted awake, sweating and panting. He moaned and sat up, groaning at the sticky mess on the sheets. _Just great,_ he thought sarcastically. Then, he heard the doorknob jiggle. His mind raced through a billion possibilities and responses. But in the end, he decided to just lie back down, close his eyes, and see what was going to happen. The door creaked open, but he forced himself not to react.

"He's asleep," a voice whispered.

"Good. Grab him and his clothes and bring him," a deep baritone replied. _Sounds like Mustang,_ Edward thought dimly.

"Isn't it a little early for this, Liam? I mean, isn't it risky?"

"He's a kid, S'veta, and it's not like I'm about to tell him everything. I'm just going to scare him a little, ask him some questions, see how he responds. We're low on numbers, so we need to take a little chance."

"We're vulnerable so we should be even more careful."

"Don't argue with me. I know what I'm doing. Trust me." Edward felt the blankets be pulled down and it was all he could do not to blush in humiliation. Ever since he'd started having frequent dreams about Mustang, he'd taken to sleeping naked, to avoid extra laundry. "I'll get some boxers on him…and don't gawk, he's a teenage boy. It's not uncommon." He felt cool, smooth hands start to put his boxers on. _At least one thing is different from Mustang,_ he thought.

"I wasn't looking at **that**, Liam. I was more interested in his automail," the other voice – S'veta, Edward presumed – replied.

"He's pretty young to have it, isn't he?"

"Yeah. Though I suppose all sorts of people have seen depravity." Someone else took over, rougher hands, but slightly smaller. He was picked up and tossed over a pair of broad shoulders. "Ugh, he's heavy for how small he is."

"Automail probably accounts for most of that. I have his clothes. Let's go." Edward stayed limp, praying he wasn't making the wrong decision.

"He sleeps like a rock, if this hasn't woken him up, yet."

"Or he's faking," Liam replied. "Either way is fine." The Fullmetal Alchemist wanted to swear at having been so easy to anticipate for the other man.

"Why would he be faking?"

"If I were him, I'd fake sleeping. No doubt he's heard about the anti-government activities in this area. And from what he said, it sounds like he's a criminal on the run. He's probably hoping to get sanctuary from us. Of course, he can't come out and ask, just in case we aren't who he thinks we might be, so it's best to let us make the first move, see who we really are, and make a move from there. He's confessed nothing, so he's forced us to play our hand first. It's pretty clever actually." Edward felt a swell of pride before he remembered that just because Liam **sounded** like Mustang didn't mean he was as hard to impress.

"Should I knock him out, just in case?"

"No. It's fine. There's no harm in him being awake as long as he's not struggling." He felt himself laid down on the cold ground and he opened his eyes, sitting up.

"Can I have my clothes back?" he asked. Liam was grinning as he tossed Edward his clothes. Quickly, the boy put them on.

"So, you were awake all along. I thought you might've been. Someone who's on the run usually sleeps pretty lightly."

"What do you want?" the teen asked, pulling on his gloves.

"I think we can help each other. Why don't you settle down here for a bit?"

"What makes you think I'd want to settle down?"

"You're running from someone, aren't you?"

"And if I am?"

"What did you do?"

"I did what I needed to survive. The military took everything from me, my family, my home, my shop. They didn't leave me much choice, so I robbed a bank. My sister was in the hospital and I needed to pay the bill."

"Don't you think the military should pay for its crimes? Think about the number of people, just like you, who can't defend themselves. We'll protect you if you stay here and help us." Edward pretended to hesitated, frowning slightly. "Think about it. I'll come for your answer tomorrow, so don't leave without seeing me again. If you choose to continue running, we won't hold it against you."

"I'll think about it," the teen replied. He didn't want to seem to eager, after all. "Where did you take me?"

"The cellar of the bar. Sorry for waking you."

"You didn't. I was already awake. Now, if you don't mind…" Edward walked off. _Perfect. This was so much easier than I thought it would be. Of course, once I'm in, that's when it will get hard. I'll have to win their trust somehow…_Liam caught his hand, and he turned. The man looked truly sympathetic.

"I'm sorry to hear about your sister. That kind of thing…is not something someone as young as you should have to endure. You have my condolences." The State Alchemist smiled half-heartedly.

"Yeah."

"May I ask…about your automail?"

"I'll save that story for if I join you. How about that?" The man's hand tightened slightly as he smiled gently.

"I look forward to you joining us, then." Then, he released Edward, and the boy hurried off. _Well, his personality is nothing like Mustang's!_ he thought. _He's so much nicer._ He went to his room and wrinkled his nose, yanking his sheets off his bed before digging around in the linen closet to find an extra set. He'd do laundry tomorrow. Right now, he just wanted to go back to sleep and hopefully not dream.

* * *

You know the drill. R and R please! :)


	4. Chapter 4

"Okay, I'm out of here," Roy announced, standing up. Riza was the only one left in the office. It was a Saturday, after all. It had been three days since Edward had left Central, and finally the colonel was getting a sense of harmony back into his life. Of course, he was still sexually frustrated as he had yet to take Riza's advice and get laid, but at least he didn't have to worry about the Fullmetal Alchemist sauntering into his room in those too-tight pants with that tough-guy, angsty look on his face and enticing him to jump his skinny, little behind.

"Shall I drive you, sir?" Riza volunteered. The colonel hesitated at the door.

"Sure, Hawkeye. Why don't you come drinking with me. I could use a little company." Perhaps a little too quickly, she was on her feet and straightening up her desk.

"Give me just a moment, sir." She stacked her papers neatly, shut them in her desk, and walked off. "Let's go."_ Maybe he'll tell me what's bothering him,_ she thought as they left the building. She drove them to Madame Christmas's – Mustang got discounts on his drinks there – and chose a table, instead of sitting at the bar. She wanted privacy, just in case he wanted to talk out whatever was on his mind.

"It's been ages since we've done this."

"This?" She didn't think she'd ever gone drinking with just the colonel, before.

"Spent time together outside of work, I mean. In fact, the last time must have been training, before Ishval." She blinked. He was right. Despite the copious amounts of time they spent in each other's company, they hadn't actually been together outside of work in years. _Well, it's my fault for following him into the military, but would I have been able to see him at all, if I hadn't?_ she mused.

"Oh. Hi, Colonel. Lieutenant. What can I get for you two? Beer? Whiskey? Scotch? A room?" a young woman asked, grinning. She was pretty with short, medium-brown hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. Mustang shot her a disapproving glance at the last suggestion.

"Scotch for me, Dahlia," he replied.

"I'll have whiskey," Hawkeye added. The waitress nodded and walked off to get their drinks. Mustang sighed and leaned back in the booth. Riza found herself wondering what to say. They had nothing other than work to talk about. "So…" she muttered.

"Sorry if this is awkward for you. I didn't feel like being alone."

"I don't mind. It's not awkward," she assured him. "You work too hard, so you deserve to relax every once in a while." Dahlia brought their drinks, winked at Mustang, and sauntered off, her hips swinging seductively. The colonel didn't even cast her a second glance. Instead, he settled on reminiscing the past with his lieutenant.

Two hours and three drinks later, Riza realized she getting dangerously tipsy. Unlike Mustang, who was a quiet drunk, Riza tended to gain confidence to say things she normally wouldn't. In her current situation, she could imagine saying some things that she had promised never to say. She downed another drink as a wave of self-pity washed through her.

"Slow down there, Lieutenant. We've got time," Mustang chuckled lightly. Riza sighed and let a waitress bring her another drink. "You okay, Hawkeye?"

"Hawkeye…" she scoffed lightly. "Lieutenant…is that all I am to you?" The colonel now lifted a brow. _Oh, no,_ Riza thought. _I shouldn't be saying this._ But she couldn't stop herself. "I mean is there anything other than duty…that binds us together?"

"Wh-what are you talking about? You're my most trusted subordinate. The one that always has my back…"

"Is that it?"

"What else…?"

"Colonel, I followed you into the military…promised to always support you…everything I've done…I did it all because I…" she squeezed her eyes shut. "I'm in love with you." She waited for the scorn, the rejection, the disappointment. Instead, a large, warm hand laid over hers. Her eyes opened and she found herself staring into the very sympathetic face of her commanding officer.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "But we can't…if we did…if we were found out…" he reasoned.

"But I need to know…what you feel for me," she urged. Now that she'd come this far, she might as well go all the way. "I mean, decisions aside. In an ideal world, if we **could** be together…would you…would you want me?"

"Any man would be lucky to have you, Riza." She jolted at his use of her first name. "I love you…and you're one of the most important people to me, but…" Riza's heart sank. "I've never thought of you that way. I never wanted you to join the military because it was so dangerous, but I didn't protest because it was your choice and I…I needed someone I could trust. So I promised to protect you, no matter what. But it seems like this time, I'm the one hurting you. Sorry." She sighed, hanging her head.

"Well, I figured…it might be something like that," she admitted. "I suppose it's actually better this way."

"I don't want you to be in pain," Mustang murmured.

"It's fine. Is there someone that you…love?" the word caught in her throat before she forced it out. The colonel gave her a small, worried smile.

"Yeah. It's no one I can ever get close to. I'm actually trying not to think about it, right now." She nodded sympathetically.

"So there's no way that we could ever…I mean, the two of us…it would never…" Roy sighed, glancing out the window.

"Want to try it once?"

"Wh-what?" she croaked. _Maybe doing this with Riza…maybe it will help us both,_ the colonel thought.

"It would be a one-time deal. That's all. Just to get it out of the way. To lose the tension. God knows I need something and you…well, if I could ever fall for someone else…it would be you, Riza." She gnawed her lip apprehensively.

"It's a dangerous move," she muttered, forcing herself to be the voice of reason. "I mean, if anyone finds out, if we do that…"

"There are precautions for that." He reached up and took a strand of her hair between his fingers. _Not as soft as Fullmetal's, _he thought ruefully. _Still, it's almost the same color gold. Almost._ "Isn't it better at least to do it once than to live our lives in regret?"

"Y-yeah…yes. Let's…just once."

"Come to my place in an hour – make sure no one sees you." He stood up, taking off his jacket. "This can be your excuse." He tossed it to her and walked off. She stared down at the jacket in her lap. Then, slowly, she brought it up to her face. It was warm and smelled like him. She really hoped she was doing the right thing.

An hour later, she was on Mustang's doorstep, about to knock, his jacket folded neatly and slung over her arm. She hesitated, her knuckles poised. Then she rapped three times. The sharp knocking sounded all too loud in the stillness of the night. A minute later, the door opened to reveal Mustang in just his white button-up shirt and military uniform pants. He smiled and stood aside to let her in.

"You left your jacket," she informed him, handing it to him.

"Thanks for bringing it by," he replied. Neither of them made a move to get any closer to each other. _Maybe I should just leave,_ she thought. _Maybe it was a bad idea from the start._ Just as she was about to act on that, he reached out and cupped her cheek. She swallowed heavily, allowing herself to be guided a step closer to him. "May I?" he whispered in an almost gentlemanly way. She nodded and he leaned in to press his lips to hers softly yet firmly. Her eyes fluttered shut. How long she had wanted this. How many years she'd dreamt about him kissing her the way he was now. Well, in her dreams, it usually progressed to more than just chaste kisses, but this was always the start. He drew away a mere centimeter. "Shall we go to my room?" he asked in a whisper. She licked her lips nervously.

"Yes." He took her hand and guided her to his bedroom. She looked around, hardly able to comprehend what was about to happen. He kissed her, again, this time parting his lips to lick up and down her lower lip. She responded in kind, opening her mouth to welcome him inside. By the time their tongues touched, they were pressed together heatedly. His hands were on her waist, pulling her tight against him while her arms draped over his shoulders. She felt his fingers slide up her spine and neck to undo her hair, shaking it free. His mouth tasted wonderful, and oh, she'd been wanting it for **so** long. They parted again, panting for breath, and now she took some initiative of her own, starting to unbutton his shirt. Her nimble fingers made quick work of the buttons, exposing his broad chest. She pushed the fabric off his shoulders, letting it fall to the ground. Her eyes were riveted to his chest as her hands began to explore.

"Mmm…Riza," he murmured appreciatively. "May I…?" he reached out to pull softly on the edge of her jacket. She allowed him to remove it and then pull up her shirt, discarding it, as well. He slid his hands over her stomach and back, exploring lightly. Then he ducked his head, his lips and tongue working along her neck, shoulders, and chest, paying special attention to the few scars that interrupted the smooth skin. She shivered, threading her fingers into his hair, as his teeth caught the strap of her bra and tugged it down her shoulder. _Damn, he's so good at this,_ she thought. _No wonder he's known as the playboy of Central._ "Shall I make love to you?" he whispered against her neck, nipping softly.

"Please," she murmured. "Oh, Mus-"

"Call me Roy, tonight." Her heart fluttered as she obliged.

"Roy." He guided her gently to the bed and sat her down on the edge. A small smile graced his features as he gazed warmly down at her.

"This is your first time, right?" She blushed slightly but nodded. There had been opportunities for her, but she'd always felt like she'd have been betraying her commanding officer, if she had, so she'd always turned them down. Now, she was glad for it. She had always wanted Roy to be her first – maybe her only – man. "It will be mind-blowing," he promised. "Everything you hoped for, and more." She let him guide her until she was sitting in the middle of the mattress with him on his knees between her legs. He leaned in and kissed her again, distracting her as he divested her the rest of the way. "You're so beautiful," he breathed into her mouth. She was already horribly aroused, aching with need from his light teasing, but he seemed in no rush as he now began to fondle and toy with her breasts.

"Ah!" she gasped as his mouth ducked down to enclose one, pert nipple. He pushed her legs further apart and moved closer. She didn't notice him rubbing his own manhood with his free hand to bring it to a state of arousal as he released her breast from his lips and kissed her mouth, again. The both moaned as he pushed into her and proceeded to make long, slow, passionate love to her…

Afterwards, she lay on her side, her cheek pillowed against his chest. One of his arms was wrapped around her waist, holding her heat against his. His eyes were closed, but she could tell he wasn't sleeping. _I wonder if he's regretting it? Or maybe he's just imagining what it would've been like to do that with the person he really likes._

"What's she like?" she asked.

"Hm?" he grunted in response.

"The woman you are in love with – what's she like?" He sighed and looked away. "Who is she?" He swallowed and turned to face her, opening his eyes. He looked extremely vulnerable, almost frightened.

"It's a he," he informed her, his voice barely audible. Her lips parted in a gasp, and she was about to freak out when she realized that he looked frightened because he was scared of what reaction she might have.

"Y-you're gay?" she asked.

"Bisexual, I think. I mean, I've always enjoyed sex with women, so…I assume I'm either bisexual or I'm straight and he's some kind of freakish exception." She consciously moved closer to him. He'd done this for her, the least she could do in return was be supportive.

"Did you dislike it…with me?"

"It was as good as sex with women comes," he assured her. Then, realizing how cold it came off, he amended his statement. "And then some, because I did it out of a genuine caring for you. It was…I mean it was more meaningful than just a mindless screw, it's just…"

"It's not the same as doing it with the person you love," she supplied.

"I suppose. I guess I wouldn't really know. I've never done it with him." _I don't think,_ he added, recalling that he still didn't know what happened the night of the Fuhrer's party.

"Who is he?" Roy bit his lip. "I won't be mad or disgusted. I promise." He exhaled deeply in defeat.

"Fullmetal," he mumbled. Again, Riza was completely floored. _Did he just say…Fullmetal? As in Edward Elric?!_ "Don't start telling me the problems. I'm not going to pursue him – ever." She exhaled deeply. _This is…wow. He…no way. Mustang?_

"I wasn't going to tell you. I was going to…feel bad for you," she assured him, not completely sure that she actually meant it. She didn't want him to suffer, but still…Edward Elric?! "I'm sorry. And thank you…for tonight."

"My pleasure. Go to sleep." She obliged, drifting into slumber. Mustang glanced down at her face and then sighed. Ultimately, he was glad he had chosen to do this with Riza. He owed it to her, and it wasn't like he hated it. He kissed his lieutenant's forehead and allowed himself to fall asleep.

* * *

WAAAAH! I can't believe I wrote Royai! *sob* I have betrayed my OTP! R and R...hate me...for this horribleness!


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey, Thomas," Liam purred in his ear, causing him to jump. "I'm glad you didn't leave, without answering me. I was afraid you might run away." He sat down next to the boy at the bar. "Are you ready to answer?" Edward glanced out the window. It was past lunch time, already – wasn't that answer enough?

"Yeah, I think I'll stick around a bit." The older man's lips stretched into a wide grin. "I could use a break from running, anyways."

"I'm glad to hear it. So, are you going to tell me about your automail now?"

"Hm? Oh, sure. Yeah, when I was a kid, I got hit by a car and my limbs were mangled. But I had my sister to take care of, and I couldn't work with two useless limbs, so…"

"So you got them replaced."

"Sorry it's not very exciting." Liam touched his cheek, looking devastatingly sympathetic.

"I think it's tragic. What you've gone through…so much sorrow in such a short time." He smiled a little. "At least now you're here with me, so I can protect you from more such tragedies. I promise I will do my utmost to allow you to live a happy life from here on out."

"Um…thanks. But you don't…I mean, you don't really know me or anything, so…isn't it kind of early for that?"

"It's never too early to improve someone's quality of life, Tom – can I call you Tom?"

"S-sure."

"So then the next order of business is seeing how well you do in a mission, then?" Edward nodded, smiling.

"I guess so." Inside, he squirmed with anxiety. This was a dangerous game to play, and if he wasn't careful, things could very quickly get out of hand.

"Don't worry. We'll start out small, okay?"

"Thanks."

"Come on. I'll show you around town." The two of them got up and left the inn. It only took them about fifteen minutes to see the entire town, and that was going at a leisurely pace.

"Is there anyone I should watch out for?" Ed asked as they meandered down the street.

"Ah other than the mayor, not really. And he's basically powerless, locked up in his house most of the time." _Wow, so really it's not an uprising in this town – it's the whole town!_ Edward thought.

"Pardon my skepticism, but I don't see how this will really…work." Liam chuckled, wrapping his arm around the boy's shoulders.

"Well, never underestimate the power of a small group of dedicated individuals. Really, we just have to worry about key strikes. You let me do the planning, okay?"

"Sure."

"So…you ready for your first mission?"

"Th-that fast?"

"Don't worry. It's simple, easy, small. There's a military armory in the town just north of here. It's a simple weapons raid. What do you say, just you and I sneak in, grab a load of guns and tote them back here?"

"Sure," Edward replied without hesitation despite how uncomfortable he felt. _This is just to get his trust. There's no way around it, and hesitation will only bring suspicion._ "Ready when you are, chief."

"We'll take my car, then." The Fullmetal Alchemist allowed the other man to lead him off to a small house with a car parked out front. They got in and Liam drove off. "What do you need as far as weapons?"

"I can handle my own. Don't worry about me. Focus more on staying out of my way." The teen flashed the older man a grin. "And try to keep up. I'd hate to show up a man old enough to be my dad." The raven-haired man smiled widely, chuckling.

"We'll see about that, kid. You might just have to sit back and let me show you how adults do it." _Let me show you how adults do it._ Edward suppressed a shudder as his fantasy-Mustang's words replayed in his head. Liam noticed and lifted an intrigued brow. "What was that little shiver there?" he asked, smirking. Edward looked away. "Ah – maybe you already know how adults do it?" This time, he didn't even cover up the innuendo with a humorous tone. The teen swallowed hard.

"I've got no idea what you're talking about," he replied, not sounding the least bit convincing.

"So you've already got that hole in your belt?" Liam asked, more seriously, this time. Edward stiffened, shooting him a shocked glance. "Clearly not. But you want to?"

"I don't see how it's any of your business," Edward muttered.

"Who is she?" Liam pressed. This only caused the boy to blush harder. _Not even a she, _he thought remorsefully. _And I don't even know what these weird dreams are about. I mean, it couldn't __**really**__ be good to do that kind of thing with a man, right? But that kiss…dammit, I don't know!_ He pouted slightly.

"N-no one you know."

"Tell me about her."

"U-um…th-they're tall…and um…ugh…well…they actually…remind me of you…a little bit." Liam blinked.

"Is it a man?" he asked, a slow smirk crawling over his face. Edward closed his eyes and waited for some sort of torment. Instead, he felt a hand gently cup his cheek. "You know there's nothing wrong with two men being in love. There's nothing to be ashamed about."

"Ah, it doesn't matter. We can't…I mean, even if I weren't on the run…being together isn't an option."

"Well, you never know. Things might turn out. So how do I remind him of you?"

"Well, you guys look a little similar. And you're both really smart, and…" he took a deep breath. "Your eyes." He suppressed a shiver as Liam fixed him with a piercing stare.

"Our eyes?"

"Yeah." He looked away. He could feel the other man's gaze crawling under his skin. His mind flashed back to the way Mustang had stared so intensely at him in the dim light of the bedroom, pleading for an answer. _No. Stop it, Ed,_ he told himself firmly. _You are taking a break from thinking about him!_

"Sorry," Liam apologized out of the blue. "This has to be painful for you, being close to someone who reminds you of the one you love yet can never attain."

"Hm? I-it's okay. Pain isn't a big deal, actually. Mostly I'm just confused with…well, everything." They lapsed into silence for a long while.

"So here's how the job's going to run. I'll distract the guards by the front door while you sneak around into the back window. Then, you'll take out the guards from behind, we'll grab the weapons and go. Make sense?"

"Only the guards by the front to worry about?"

"Yeah. It's a small town."

"Sure thing, but alternate to the sneaking around out front. I could just walk up, knock out the two guards, and we could go in that way."

"We don't want to risk one of them getting time to run and get help."

"You're the boss." They drove into town and parked a block away from the warehouse. They got out and headed down the street. When Edward saw the warehouse, he branched off to sneak around back. This was all too easy. He wasn't even going to get to really show off. He trotted around to the back and noticed the window Liam had mentioned. Of course, too high up. He brought his hands together and then touched them to the ground, lifting a pillar beneath him to get him high enough up. Another, quick transmutation unlocked the window and he stepped up onto the sill. Smiling his victory, he lowered the pillar back into the ground, making his entrance undetectable. He jumped lightly to the floor, landing catlike in the darkness. Slowly, he straightened and tiptoed towards the front. He could hear Liam talking, babbling like some moon-brained idiot about Armageddon while the guards tried to make him leave.

"The Armageddon is fast approaching!" Liam warned. _Where is Thomas?_ He wondered. He didn't even notice his partner sliding up behind the two guards. "Be warned and-!" he was cut off as the boy jumped up and kicked both men in the head, dropping them. He landed and knelt, checking to make sure he'd just knocked them out, not killed them. A sigh of relief confirmed they were alive.

"Ready?" They dragged the bodies into the warehouse and shut the door.

"Well done, Tom," Liam praised, grabbing a box of weapons. Edward shrugged and grabbed a box of his own.

"It wasn't exactly complicated."

"How'd you get up to that window, by the way?" The boy smirked.

"I have my ways." They carried the boxes to the car, went back for two more trips, and started back. "So what's that little town of yours called, anyways?" Edward asked.

"It never really had a name, but we call it Sanctuary."

"Sanctuary…I like that." Liam glanced at the crates of weapons in his back seat, a satisfied smile coming over his face. "What are you going to do with those weapons?"

"Destroy them." Edward's jaw almost dropped off his face. "I'm opposed to the use of guns. They're too heavy-handed for our goal."

"W-wow…That's…really admirable." A smile lit up Liam's face.

"Most people say stupid." The Fullmetal Alchemist chuckled.

"It proves you're dedicated to your ideals. I think this world needs a little idealism."

"Thank you, Tom." They lapsed into silence for the rest of the ride back to Sanctuary. By the time they were back in Liam's driveway, it was well past dark. "Hey, you wanna come inside and get something to drink?" the older man asked.

"Sure," Edward replied, trotting up to the man's front door and following him inside. The house was fairly simple, nothing hanging on the walls, no rugs or carpets on the floor. He looked around. "Nice place you've got."

"I don't spend much time here. It's just a place to sleep and have the occasional meal. Usually I eat at the inn. But I guess tonight I wanted to celebrate your first mission with you. Just the two of us," Liam replied, heading to the kitchen. "Do you mind whiskey?"

"No," Edward replied, though he wasn't sure about it. He'd never touched a drop of alcohol before. _Mustang wouldn't let me drink, if he knew,_ he thought idly. _I guess that's one difference between these two._ Liam came back with two glasses of amber liquid. He handed one to the redhead and sat down next to him, taking a sip of his own. Edward cast him a nervous glance and then brought the glass to his lips. He sipped and tried not to choke as the liquid burned down his throat. Liam's face split into a grin.

"You know, you don't have to drink to impress me," he murmured, taking the glass from him and setting it on the coffee table.

"I wasn't doing it to impress you, it's just…"

"Well, is this your first time having alcohol?" The teen's blush confirmed the notion. "Ah. I thought it might be – it was cruel of me to start you on something so strong."

"I don't mind it," Edward replied, taking the glass again and sipping from it. It tasted smoky and caused his whole mouth to tingle. While it was surprising, he wasn't sure it was entirely unpleasant. Now Liam's grin widened.

"Careful – you're drinking with the big boys, now," he chuckled. "Seems you approach drinking the way you do everything else. Head on and fearless."

"Is that a problem?" Edward demanded, daring him to say yes.

"Not at all. It was actually a compliment. I admire people who aren't scared to do and say what they want. Not that I don't appreciate tact and subtlety. Congratulations, Thomas Quinn, on your first mission completed." He tapped his glass to the younger's with a soft _clink_.

"Thanks. For everything, Liam." The man settled back into the couch, exhaling deeply. His arm found its way around the other's shoulders, pulling him a tad closer until their knees touched. Edward felt that steely gaze on him, again, and took another drink to distract himself. _Slow down,_ he warned himself. _You're new at this, and getting drunk is not safe, here. Even if he makes you __**feel**__ safe, you're his enemy. Remember that._ He shifted uncomfortably. Somehow, when he'd envisioned his first drink, he'd assumed it would be with Mustang, whenever he hit the legal age, after a mission or something, he'd get invited out with the guys. _Mustang who would actually worry about your safety…dammit, why am I thinking about this now?_ A large, cool finger brushed against his cheek.

"Careful, Tom. This is your first time. Don't want you to ruin it by drinking too much," Liam murmured. "You know, it's strange, because we just met yesterday and all, but…you're unlike anyone I've ever met, before, you know that?"

"Th-thanks?" The older man took a swallow of his drink, licking his lips nervously. "Never thought my first time drinking would be with someone I'd only met a day ago, so…" he chuckled nervously. _Why did I just tell him that?_

"Thomas…"

"Yeah?"

"Can I try something?"

"Wh-what?" The man shifted to better face him, tilting his chin up.

"Look at my eyes," he murmured. Edward found himself riveted, completely fixated on those swirling pools of silver-grey. Liam inched closer, hoping not to startle the boy. _I wonder how the alcohol's affecting him,_ he mused. _His cheeks are flushed so adorably, and his eyes just a little unfocused. I guess he has low tolerance – that makes sense. It's his first time, and he's got two metal limbs, so he's even smaller than he looks._

"L-Liam?" the redhead whispered.

"Imagine it's him – the one you like." Then, Liam closed the distance between them, covering Edward's mouth with his own. The boy gasped, and Liam slid his tongue into the opening, tasting the smoky whiskey mixed with the boy's natural taste. He gave a soft sigh of pleasure, keeping the kiss perfectly tender as he slowly explored the other's mouth. His eyes never left the teen's, even once he drew back.

"Wh-what…was that?" Edward asked breathily, his eyes wide.

"I believe it's called a kiss."

"I-I know that but…but I wasn't…expecting that. A-are you drunk?"

"Not hardly. Was it your first?"

"N-no…I've had o-one or two before."

"Mmm…pity. I really like giving you first experiences." The boy's face had yet to register a response, and Liam began to second-guess his decision. "Sorry, I-" He was cut off as Edward lurched forward, crashing their lips together. _What am I doing?_ Edward wondered, but he couldn't stop himself, not with those eyes staring at him and his head buzzing slightly from the whiskey and the taste of Liam in his mouth. The man wrapped his arms around the teen, hoisting him closer, up into his lap, so the teen was straddling him on his knees. A smile curved his lips as he stared unblinkingly into the other's eyes, eagerly kissing him back. The boy had his arms around him, one hand tangled into his hair, the other clutching his shirt. At last, they broke apart, panting slightly.

"Oh, God…what am I doing?" Edward gasped, his eyes going wide. He made to scramble away, but Liam held onto him.

"It's okay, Tom. I realize you're using me as a proxy for him, but I don't mind." He smiled a little. "You love him, but if you can't have him, you can use me. If I were in his position, I'd have held you and made you mine, no matter the consequences. I would never have let you look so sad."

"Sad?"

"When you think about him, when you talk about him, you look sad. I would never have let that happen." He brushed his lips against the teen's. "You're so beautiful."

"B-beautiful? I'm not a girl!"

"I know, and you are a gorgeous man." The fiery-haired boy looked away, flushing slightly. "Stay here tonight."

"W-what?"

"Calm down. I'm not going to do anything you don't want." He smiled gently. "I just want you to stay here, tonight. Will you? Please?"

"O-okay," Edward found himself agreeing. Liam embraced him, nuzzling his neck with a warm smile.

"Thank you." Edward rested his head on the man's shoulder, closing his eyes. Suddenly, he found himself being scooped up into the other's arms as he stood.

"Ah! W-what are you doing?" The older man carried him back to the bedroom, laying him down gently.

"I'll get you some pajamas," he informed the boy, digging around in his drawers for something that wouldn't fall right off the teen's much smaller frame. Eventually he got a t-shirt and a pair of boxers with a drawstring. Giving them to the newest member of his organization, he got his own pajamas and started to change, right there. Edward looked away, changing as quickly as he could. When they were finished, Liam crawled into bed next to him, wrapping his arms around the redhead. The teen tensed for a moment before relaxing and closing his eyes, pillowing his cheek on the raven-haired man's shoulder. The alcohol was making him feel so relaxed and pleasant, he fell right asleep. Liam smiled warmly and kissed his head. "Goodnight, Tom."

* * *

You know the drill, R&R :) Tell me what you think, what you want to see (I actually do take it into consideration) what you don't like about the story so far, etc. Oh, just a note: I changed the rating to M - should've done that in chapter 2 but I forgot to. Anyways, it's officially changed now.


	6. Chapter 6

"To Thomas and his resourcefulness!" Edward vaguely heard someone shout. He was lost in Liam's eyes for what felt like the billionth time since he'd first infiltrated the group, a week and a half ago. The handsome young, man was smiling at him, looking at him like he was the only person in the world. The man now lifted his glass, smiling, and sipped it.

"I'll drink to that," the raven-haired man murmured. So far, Edward had completed a number of small jobs for the group, nothing too damaging, and often it was taking down corrupt member of the military or police, instead of damaging the overall structure. He leaned forward and caught the redhead's mouth with his own. Someone wolf-whistled in the background, but everything else dimmed compared to the kiss. It was soft and tender and warm and loving. In Edward's mind, Roy was kissing him, telling him he'd done well on a mission. _Like hell that will ever happen_, he thought even as he kissed the other man back, blushing because it was the first time they'd actually kissed in public.

Liam released him, smiling, and handed him the rest of his drink. Edward noticed how Svetlana – called Sveta – caught Liam's eye. The older man stood, kissing the younger's head as a promise to be back, and walked off to walk to her.

"Liam, you've been charging way too blindly into this. This…**boy** has only been here a week. He hasn't even passed our probation period, yet, and you're screwing him." Of course, everyone assumed Liam and Edward were doing each other, as Edward spent most of his time with the man and even stayed in Liam's house now.

"Sveta…"

"It's not like you to allow yourself to get caught up so easily. It took you months before you'd be alone in the same room with me. You've never gotten so close to someone so fast."

"Sveta, trust me."

"I do trust you, Liam. It's **him** I don't trust."

"What, are you jealous?"

"You know I'm not, Liam. Please try to take this seriously."

"I am taking this seriously, Sveta." She scowled at his response and folded her arms across her chest. _How long does he think he can carry on like this,_ she thought bitterly. _He's going to slip up and ruin the whole movement, if he's not careful._

"Then stop playing around with that…that **child**."

"He's not a child. If you were looking closely, you'd see that."

"Either way, he could be manipulating you."

"I can't live my life in fear of something like that."

"You'll get burned one day, and it won't be just you. It will be all of us. As it is, we're limited by your idealism. Change won't come without a war – a war you're not prepared to fight." Liam's jaw clenched.

"I will not go around needlessly orphaning children and widowing women," he growled. "The way to healing this country is **not** through bloodshed."

"And it's not through having a dalliance with a little snip of a boy, either!"

"My work hasn't suffered at all. We're still on schedule. I can handle myself." She sighed, frustrated and looked away.

"Whatever, but when this all falls through, remember that there's more than just you who'll go down with it." Liam let his breath hiss out through his teeth. Part of him understood what Svetlana was saying. He knew that he should be more careful with the teen, but he couldn't help himself. The boy had clearly seen so much suffering, whether hew as telling the truth about his story or not, and Liam couldn't help but feel his heart go out to him. Svetlana turned and walked away.

"Hey," Ed murmured, approaching. "Is everything okay?"

"It's fine."

"Why don't we get out of here? Hm?"

"Yeah, let's." The two of them walked back to Liam's house. Once inside, the younger boy pushed him up against the door and kissed him softly.

"Don't look so down," he whispered into the other's mouth. Liam moaned appreciatively and joined their mouths, again. His fingers delved into Edward's hair, curling loosely.

"Tom…I'm going to respect your wishes…not to go all the way," he murmured breathily. "But please…please…let me have more than kisses." Edward closed his eyes, remembering the feel of Mustang's mouth on his. It was almost the same as Liam's. It was so close. He opened his eyes.

"Do what you want," he panted. He gasped as the man hastily pulled him down the hall to his room, pushing him down on the bed and kissing him feverishly. His hands slid the boy's jacket off his shoulders and carelessly tossed it aside. His shirt was the next to go before Liam started on his pants. "Whoa…" he gasped, half sitting up to stare, wide-eyed, at the other man, totally unprepared for the ferocity of his onslaught.

"Please, Tom. Please, please, please. I won't take your virginity because you're saving it for that man that you can never have, but please…let me have everything else." Edward's breath hitched as those glinting, grey eyes gazed imploringly up at him. So desperate. _Just like that night with Mustang,_ he thought dazedly. If he stared into those eyes hard enough, if he focused on their similarities, it was like it really was one of his fantasies.

"Okay," he whispered, letting his head drop back to the mattress. Liam nuzzled his neck, kissing, nipping and sucking on his flushed skin. "Ah. L-Liam…" he stammered weakly. The man's mouth now moved to his collarbone, leaving little love bites all up and down the ridge.

"Does it feel good?" he hissed against the boy's damp skin. "Tell me how it feels."

"Ah. Feels…so good! So…mph…feels like my body is on fire."

"You act like such and adult, Tom, but really…you're so naïve in so many ways. Ah, and you're so, damn beautiful and clever and bold and…perfect." He dragged his tongue along the scarred seam between the boy's automail and the flesh of his shoulder and chest. He kissed it and nipped it and worshiped it until the boy was writhing with pleasure. He sat up slightly so they could both catch their breath. "So many things I want to do to you, Tom. So many things to do **with** you. But tonight, I'll just settle for sucking you off and giving you the best orgasm of your life." Edward was stunned speechless as the man dragged his mouth down his torso, pausing to pay special attention to his hip bone for a moment before moving lower. He smirked at the teen's erection before taking just the tip into his mouth, hoping not to overstimulate him and make him come, just yet. He sucked lightly, slowly inching his mouth further down the boy's length, opening up his throat to take him deeper.

"Liam! A-ah…LiamLiamLiam…" Edward hissed, his fingers curling tightly into the other man's ebony hair in an effort to stop himself from thrusting up into his throat. The older man half-hummed, half-sighed around the stiff flesh in his mouth, his lips curling into a smirk. Still slowly, he began to pull up, sucking his cheeks in. His tongue swirled around the top of the boy's manhood before he plunged back down again. "AH!" Edward tossed his head back as Liam began to suck harder, bobbing his head faster. The boy whimpered, biting his lip to keep from screaming again.

Liam came up again and paused, drawing in a deep breath through his nose. Edward whimpered, thrusting shallowly to gain back that friction, but the older man held his hips down. He massaged his tongue into the slit at the tip of his member, enjoying the tortured moan that rose from his partner's throat at the action. Then, he dropped back down, again, sucking with even more vigor than before. This time, every time he came up, he pushed his tongue into the slit and each time he went down, his teeth gently scraped up and down his length, heightening his pleasure even further. It took only a two minutes of this treatment before the redhead was screaming and coming into his mouth.

"ROY!" he sobbed. Liam's eyes widened slightly even as he swallowed every last drop and licked his limp manhood clean. _Roy? Is that some sort of cruel irony?_ He thought bitterly. He faltered slightly. _There's no way that it's the same Roy…is there?_ The boy's eyes widened when he realized what he'd said. "L-Liam, I…!" But the man leaned up, smoothing over his shocked and slightly hurt expression, and kissed the teen sweetly.

"Don't apologize," he whispered. "Part of what makes you who you are is your undying loyalty. I wouldn't dare hope to change that about you."

"Liam…why are you so kind to me?" Edward whispered. Liam kissed him, again.

"Do I need a reason to want to make your life better?" The teen looked away, abashed. No one had ever done anything selflessly for him, really. What he had with Mustang was a business arrangement. And Granny and Winry, while they did their best to help him, couldn't really afford to be selfless about it, so they had to ask him to pay. Everyone else he'd ever dealt with, it was give and take, tit for tat. Ever since his mother had died. Liam gasped slightly as suddenly he found himself on his back with the teen's arms around him, his face buried in his chest. "Tom?"

"Thank you! Liam…I'm so sorry!" The man smiled sadly, combing his fingers through that bright, red hair he'd come to adore so much.

"Don't be sorry. Why would you be sorry?" _Why?_ Ed thought sadly. _Because as soon as I get a good opening, I'm turning you in to the military! _He squeezed his eyes shut. A small voice in his head suggested that he don't go through with it. He could find a cure for Al on his own, right? _No, don't be stupid. You joined the military because it was your only option, _he thought. _Besides, could you really turn your back on the men, on Mustang, on everything you've done, so far?_ He squirmed closer into that comforting embrace. "It's okay, Tom. It's okay." _No it's not, Liam. This is __**so**__ not okay!_ He sat there for a long time, trying to calm himself. _This is for Al. Everything,_ he reminded himself _Everything is for Al._ But no matter how many times he said it, it didn't make it more true.

After a long while, he sat back, having successfully conquered the urge to break down sobbing. Liam smiled gently at him.

"I'm sorry if I pushed things too far…"

"You didn't. Liam you've been…perfect," Edward found himself quickly assuring the man. "Sorry…I keep…I don't want you to think I'm just toying with you."

"I know you're not. Look, I started this knowing I was a replacement. It doesn't hurt me. Rather I'm glad to be able to give you what you need, be it comfort, love, or distance." Liam smiled gently.

"What was up with Svetlana, earlier?" Edward asked, eager to change the subject.

"She's just nervous because things are ramping up for a big move," he replied. "Something that will really make a difference."

"What's that?" the Fullmetal Alchemist asked, smiling to cover up his nervousness.

"In three weeks, a train will leave South City, carrying 50 billion cenz in newly minted cash, headed for Central City. We're going to take it. Economic warfare is far better than bloodshed, I think. And we'll just be giving the money to people who really need it, anyways. The homeless, refugees, the disabled…people who won't use it to hurt others."

"I'm looking forward to it. Have you got the plan laid out?"

"Not quite yet, but I want a small, elite team. Sveta will be our driver, of course, and we'll have to have someone block the tracks so the train will have to stop while we unload the money into the van. Then Sveta will drive away and that will be that. So tops it will be a five person job. I actually was hoping you'd be there on the train with me." Edward offered him a warm smile.

"It would be my honor," he assured the man. _And the perfect opportunity to make my move,_ he added in his head, much less enthusiastically.

* * *

Kind of a short chapter, I know, but it was just a transition. Oh, poor Ed...the guilt...poor Liam, actually. And poor Sveta for not being able to do anything about it. R and R, please! :)


	7. Chapter 7

Edward sat around a table with Liam, Svetlana, and two others – Cole and Erick. The leader of the rebellion was laying out his plan for them marking out everything on a map and explaining each move in detail.

"The train will leave at noon from South City in six days. That means we have to be at the station by eleven, and Svetlana will need to leave in the van at eleven thirty to be waiting at the rendezvous point, here, right before the tunnel. Cole, Erick, you're going to set explosives and collapse the tunnel – I've already obtained the explosives, so that won't be a problem. Thomas and I will be on the train. When the train stops, some of the guards will have to go check it out – which means that is our best opportunity to sneak into the car with the money and unload it onto the truck. Then, we all get away on the van. We'll begin distribution of the money immediately. How does it sound?"

"Simple enough," Svetlana murmured. "Are you sure it's not too simple?"

"I'm certain. The more complicated it gets, the harder it will be to pull off. It's best to keep it simple."

"Alright, then there shouldn't be any complications." She cast a suspicious glance at Edward. "Unless someone isn't who they say they are." Liam cleared his throat.

"If that's all, then meeting adjourned." The others stood and left, leaving Liam and Edward alone.

"Do you have doubts about me?" the teen asked. Liam took a deep breath. He was, of course, obligated to be at least a little suspicious of everyone.

"I don't want to, but…but can I ask you something? It's been bothering me…for the past week or so."

"What?"

"When we're together, and in your sleep, you call out this Roy's name. Can you tell me who he is?" Liam looked away. He had tried to battle his nervousness about the subject, but he couldn't help but worry. Edward exhaled, smiling sadly.

"Of course, I can, Liam. If it was bothering you, you should've asked earlier." Of course, he'd already prepared for this after he'd first accidentally let Mustang's name slip out in a moment of ecstasy.

"Roy Winchester. You see, my sister and I grew up on a small town in the east," he explained. "Roy Winchester was her teacher. After our mother died, our father wasn't really present much in our life, you know? It was just me and my sister, Allison, really. Mr. Winchester was always kind and understanding towards us. Everyone pitied us, of course, but Mr. Winchester…he would come over and bring dinner at times, and he stayed after and tutored Allison when she struggled. After all, getting a good education is the key to getting a good job. I-it was him that paid for my automail, too. He even helped me in my own studies, too. Then, when Ally got sick, he helped us go to a bigger town to get her to a hospital, but…he couldn't pay all the bills, as much as he wanted to. It was just more than his salary would offer. I think he thought of me as a son or something, so I never told him…about how I felt for him."

"I see." Liam let out a sigh of relief. "I guess I just couldn't help but worry that when you said Roy you meant…Roy Mustang." It was all Edward could do not to gape. _How did he come to that conclusion? _"It's just…I have a bit of a history with him, so I guess it's a fear of mine." The teen forced a puzzled look.

"…You mean the Colonel who's gotten a lot of recognition in the military?" Edward asked. His stomach clenched. _Wow, he's actually a lot more careful than he lets on, isn't he?_

"Yeah. I know it sounds farfetched, I just couldn't help worrying that you were actually a spy for him or something. Sorry."

"Don't worry." He rested his head against Liam's shoulder. "You have to be suspicious. A lot is riding on you, after all."

"Thanks for understanding. It's just…you know, I've been told before…that I look like the Flame Alchemist in some ways."

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess you do. I never thought about it." The teen gave Liam's hand a squeeze. "I'm sorry," he murmured.

"Why?"

"Just…I don't know. I feel like I'm using you." Liam chuckled softly, leaning back in his chair and taking a sip from his drink.

"You are using me, Thomas. We all use people. It's not a bad thing. I use you, too. And Svetlana. Sure it may feel a little different, but remember, I'm a grown man, I know what it means to be in a relationship with you. You don't have to feel bad about not returning my feelings and just using me as an outlet. I'm more than happy with our relationship."

"How can you be happy with that?"

"Because, Tom. I care about you. Part of loving you is just wanting to see you happy. It brings me pleasure just to ease your suffering." Edward sighed. _Why does he have to be so damn kind?_ He thought ruefully. "Don't look so unhappy. If I can't handle it, I'll just call it off with you. For me, what really matters is that you're okay."

"You're really not like normal people Liam. No one has ever…I mean…people aren't that selfless." Liam chuckled.

"Perhaps I come off a little strong, but I'm not all that great. Besides, I did push you into a relationship with me. Our first kiss was me taking advantage of your inebriated state."

"I-I wasn't **that** drunk," Edward muttered.

"Maybe not, but you wouldn't have done it if you'd been completely sober. And after that…well, things moved a lot faster than you wanted. I'm not entirely selfless, see?"

"Ah, but it wasn't like I **really** protested that much. I mean, if I'd told you I really didn't want it, you'd have stopped."

"Of course. I'm not about to force you!" Liam laughed. "But you know, I'll take your compliment anyways. Thank you, Thomas. I'm glad you think I'm nice." Edward sighed.

"Well, I think I'm going to turn in for the night," he faked a yawn, covering his mouth. Liam reached up and pulled him into a quick kiss.

"I'll join you in a bit," he promised, giving Edward the keys to his house. The teen nodded and walked off. Once he was outside, his shoulders slumped. _I'm sorry for leading you on like this, knowing I'm only manipulating you_…

Alphonse sat in the hotel room, sighing heavily. He was worried about Edward. Sure, his brother was a free spirit and tended to just do things without telling anyone, but he'd been gone almost a month, now, and there was still no word of him. For all he knew his brother was captured or dead. If the rebellion group had caught him…_No, don't think like that,_ he criticized himself. _He's fine. He's always fine._ The hulking suit of armor stood, pacing the room anxiously. Why hadn't his brother told him anything? Usually when Edward kept him in the dark, it was because he had a phenomenally bad idea that Alphonse would never agree with. But it always turned out fine, right? His mind flashed through all the times he'd had to get Edward out of situations. Their first fight with Scar, for instance. The time spent alone on the island during the first part of their training. When they'd found out about Tucker. _No, he's not always fine. Sometimes he needs help,_ he realized. _Still, he told me to wait here for him…But I can't do nothing!_ Determinedly, he went to the phone and picked it up, dialing Hughes's work number.

"Central City Military Headquarters," a female voice came over the phone.

"Hello, this is Alphonse Elric, I'm calling to speak to Colonel Mayes Hughes," Alphonse replied. "My brother is Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist. His identification code is A42MBC7." There was silence on the other end as the woman checked the code.

"Alright, I'll put you through to the Colonel."

"Thank you." The younger Elric waited for a while.

"Alphonse?" Hughes asked.

"Colonel! I'm so glad I could get ahold of you. I'm worried about Edward. He's been gone three weeks now."

"Wait, what do you mean 'gone?' Aren't you with him?"

"No, he left me in South City and told me not to follow him. He didn't even tell me where he was going. He said it would be a while, but this…I'm worried about him."

"Did he give you an estimate on how long he would be gone?"

"Just a while. He didn't specify."

"Do you know what mission he was working on?"

"Something about an anarchist group."

"Oh, that one. Right, well, the good news is that their patterns have been relatively nonviolent so far, though I suppose Edward could push anyone into violence, if he tried. Anyways, there's only a small chance that they've killed him. I'll see what we can do from this end, okay?"

"Thank you, Hughes."

"You did the right thing, telling me."

"I only wish I had earlier."

"Alphonse. Everything's going to be okay. We'll handle things, and Ed will be back with you before you know it, okay?"

"Thank you." Alphonse tried to sound hopeful. "Goodbye." He hung up, sighing heavily. _Ed…where are you?_

Mustang glanced at the clock. He had two more hours before he could leave. Right now, he was sitting at his desk, pretending to do paperwork. Riza shot him a glance and pulled out her gun, leveling it at his head.

"No slacking off!" she barked. Things hadn't changed between them since they'd slept together. Well, except Mustang could tell how badly Riza wanted to do it again, but he wasn't going to give in to that. Not ever. That had been a one-time deal, only. Suddenly, Hughes came bursting into his office, without even knocking.

"Mustang-!" he started.

"Hughes, I swear if this is because your daughter lost a tooth-!" Mustang warned.

"It's Fullmetal!" The Colonel cut him off. The Flame Alchemist's mouth snapped shut and immediately Hughes had the attention of everyone in the room. He took a deep breath, shutting the door to cover up that he was taking a moment to compose himself. "I don't know how to say this…"

"Just say it and be done with it? Is he injured? Dead?"

"Neither. He's perfectly healthy, it's just that…"

"What?"

"Alphonse called me today, said Edward has been gone three weeks and hasn't bothered contacting him once. Apparently he ditched his brother in South City. What's more, the rebellion hasn't been weakened at all. If anything, they're stronger than ever. Then, look at this newspaper printed in the town just north of where Edward was supposed to be going." Hughes walked over and slapped a newspaper down on Mustang's desk. Everyone got up to crowd around and see it. On the front page was a headline reading "Daring Thief Bamboozles Police Again!" And beneath it was a picture of none other than Edward Elric running down the street. His outfit had changed, and it was clear, even in black and white, that his hair had been died, but it was unmistakably the Fullmetal Alchemist.

"He's…"

"It looks like he's betrayed us," Hughes supplied softly. Mustang gawked at the paper, not even sure how to process it. Edward had betrayed him? He'd joined the anarchists? Why? How could he? Did that mean he'd found a cure for Alphonse's body, already? He stood up, furiously, his fist clenching.

"Hawkeye, handle things here," he barked. "I'm going to get Fullmetal."

"Sir-!"

"Don't 'sir' me! I am going to get him and drag him back in chains if I have to!" Then, he left to get himself the first ticket he could to South City. _Dammit, Fullmetal! What the hell are you doing?! _He thought furiously as he left the building and strode out into the cold.

* * *

Pretty short chapter, sorry. R&R as usual. Sorry, mostly this was just a transition, setting up for next chapter, pretty boring. :(


	8. Chapter 8

Lieutenant Colonel Roy Mustang could feel the hostility in the air, thick and pungent enough to taste on his tongue. Looking back, he probably should've at least changed out of his military uniform. Then again, he was here for Edward – it wasn't like he was going to fool the boy by changing his clothes. _Dammit! This is ridiculous! Why would Edward betray us? There's no logical reason! He needs the military!_ Gritting his teeth, he went to the inn and pushed open the door. What he saw made his eyes go wide with shock. Sitting at a booth was a man, and on that man's lap, head twisted around to accept a passionate kiss, was Edward Elric – **his** Edward Elric! Now, albeit the boy had red hair, not blond, but there was no mistaking him, even without his customary outfit. As the door slammed shut, the two parted and all eyes turned to the furious colonel. Edward gave an ungainly squeak and jumped to his feet.

"Not so fast, Fullmetal!" Mustang practically bellowed, moving to grab the boy. He found his hand knocked away as a body interposed itself between him and his target.

"Please keep your hands off my boyfriend," the man murmured. Mustang lifted his eyes to the man's face and his lips fell open in shock.

"Liam?" he gasped. The other man kept his face composed, his eyes narrowed to slits.

"Roy." The two held each others eyes. "What do you want with Thomas?"

"Thomas? I don't know who the hell you're talking about! I'm here for that pipsqueak traitor, Edward Elric." Mustang pointed an accusatory finger at Edward.

"Edward?" Liam repeated. "Thomas is this true?" The only answer was the door banging shut as the boy made a run for it. "Svetlana-"

"I'm on it." She took off after the boy.

"What are you doing here, Liam?" Mustang asked. _Well, this might explain Ed's conversion. If anyone could convince him, it's Liam,_ he thought darkly.

"Me? I live here. You know, peacefully – **not** murdering defenseless women and children." Mustang's jaw tightened further, if possible, his hands clenched into fists.

"Running a rebellion out of your basement, Liam?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, I'm sure." A moment of silence stretched between them, the tension palpable in the air. "Well, by order of the state, you are required to hand over Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist – also known as Thomas, it would seem – to me, should you see him."

"As a city official, I can guarantee our complete cooperation. May I suggest you stay up at the mayor's manor, **Colonel**? I'm sure he'd be more than happy to put you up in a guest room for the night, and it would be more comfortable – not to mention safer – than staying down here with us common folk." Mustang sneered something under his breath and left, fury setting his blood on fire. _Why is he here? Why now of all times! And why the Hell was he kissing Ed?! He said that they're boyfriends._ Mustang let out a groan. _How far have they gone, I wonder. Has Fullmetal let him…_ he couldn't even bring himself to think about it. _Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!_

Liam watched the other man through the window as he stalked down the street. His stomach coiled tightly in on itself. _The Fullmetal Alchemist? Thomas? Edward Elric? Has he really been lying to me the entire time? If so…no, maybe not. Maybe not. Would Mustang come in here if this was all a set up, an infiltration. No way, right? But it's so poorly timed – only four days until the big mission. And why __**him**__?! Why is __**he**__ here?! _The raven haired man turned away, taking a deep, controlled breath to calm himself down. _Shit!_ He felt like screaming and throwing things across the room and throwing an all-out tantrum. But he couldn't do that. He had to be calm and collected for his men. Any loss of self control would spell ultimate failure for the movement. Especially now with tensions high and a military officer in town…

Edward's head was pounding. What had happened? Mustang had—Mustang! _That idiot! What the hell is he doing coming here and ruining my operation?!_ He thought furiously. And now here he was, chained to a chair in the dark. _Dammit! How am I going to get out of this one! If Liam doesn't kill me, Mustang will!_ _Think! Think!_

"I told you he was trouble, sir," Svetlana said, somewhere not too far off.

"I know," Liam replied, sounding defeated. "He's in there?"

"Yeah, I chained him to the chair – no way he's getting free."

"But we can't be certain of anything, yet. I mean, the colonel **did** call him a traitor, maybe he really…"

"Sir! I can't believe you're still thinking like that!"

"How can I not? Innocent until proven guilty – that's the law."

"You should kill him and be done with it."

"We're not going to kill him!"

"He's a liability! He knows our plan."

"It doesn't matter. We're not killing him, and that's final."

"I must protest. You're letting your feelings get in the way of logical decision making," Svetlana growled lowly.

"I'm letting my feelings get in the way? Svetlana, there is no such thing as a good leader that does not first listen to his heart."

"Except your heart's been tampered with! It's a faulty judge of options, right now!"

"I am going to talk to him before we go any further in this conversation. How did Mustang find him, anyways?"

"Probably knew all along."

"If he did then why would he come here and ruin the boy's cover? Plus, I know he hasn't been leaking information. I'm with him almost twenty-four seven, he wouldn't have been able to hide it from me."

"Well, how should I know? The fact is that we've got four days until a major operation and there's a State Alchemist in our town as well as someone who may be a spy on our team!" The door swung open and a pillar of light fell down onto Edward, illuminating his face.

"God, Sveta! You didn't have to beat him up!" Liam cried, noting the bruises on Edward's face and arms.

"Little rascal wouldn't stay still and get caught," the woman replied with a shrug.

"Stay back. I'll do the questioning. You just watch."

"Liam-!"

"No questions, Svetlana!" She huffed and went to the back corner to watch. Now Liam turned to Edward. His face was a mix of hurt and anger. "Care to explain what just happened?" he asked. The teen sighed, nodding. "Okay. I'll hear you out."

"I lied to you…about who I am. My name is Edward Elric. Until three weeks ago, I was known as the Fullmetal Alchemist. I was sent here to infiltrate your group and take you down." Liam drew in a tight breath. "But," the boy continued. "The more I was with you…the more I started to agree with your ideals and methods." He looked away. "I thought…I could just continue to be Thomas Quinn. That I could…I could stay with you safely, aid you in your goal." He shook his head. "I should've known that if I tried to desert, they'd come after me. That I could never escape. I hoped they'd assume you guys had killed me." _There's no way he'll trust me after this. Dammit. What do I do?_ Edward inwardly panicked. _After all the work I've gone through to get here…_

"Did you ever say anything to me that wasn't a lie?"

"Yes! Everything I said about you and your mission was the complete truth. Ask anyone who's ever worked with me, I have a policy against killing. I will not take a human life. People say that kind of thing can't survive in the military. Honestly, they say it can't survive in this kind of rebellion, either."

"Why did you join the military – you're too young to have even gone through training, and you said you vowed not to kill. That seems like a strange way of life for a dog of the military."

"I'm a State Alchemist, so I got to skip that part. You see, I have a brother. When our mother died, I pushed him to try to help me use Alchemy to resurrect her. Because of that, my brother lost his body, and I lost my arm and my leg. I managed to bind his soul to a suit of armor, but I vowed I would do anything I could to get Al his body back. State Alchemists have access to a lot of materials normal people don't. It was the only way I saw to right the wrongs I had committed."

"So why would you change your mind?"

"Because I'm not getting anywhere in the military. Nothing is coming up no matter how hard I search. I thought maybe the answers aren't where I thought they were. Besides, if we took down the military regime, it's more than likely I'd be able to get access to what I was looking for, if it was there to be found, anyways."

"How do I know you're not lying?"

"You probably can't know that for certain. I've got no way to dig myself out of this one." Edward hung his head.

"Just to get everything in the clear, it **was** Roy Mustang you were in love with, wasn't it?" Liam continued.

"Y-yeah."

"You could betray the one you love?"

"I love him but what he's done…what he does…even if his goals are good, I can't stand by him while he bows to the orders of men he knows are corrupt. It's a coward's way of living. One I should never have chosen." The words tasted like acid coming out of Edward's mouth. Honestly, he thought that Mustang was one of the strongest people he knew. "He may have the same aims as you, but…but I don't see how the system won't swallow him whole, first."

"You know, you should've told the truth from the first moment you felt you wanted to join. Coming forward on your own would've secured your status."

"I know that now, it's just…I was scared…scared that you'd hate me and turn me away. Scared that I'd never be accepted. I'd already started lying…I just…I couldn't stop." Liam sighed heavily. He wanted to believe Edward – Thomas…whatever, but could he? The boy looked sincere, but then again, he'd always looked sincere.

"Dammit!" he muttered.

"I'm sorry. It's okay, if you…if you won't trust me or accept me now. But please…please don't kill me. Keep me here locked up until after the job if you want, but I have to live so that I can get my brother's body back."

"We're not going to kill you."

"Thank you."

"Look at me." Edward looked up at him. "Tell me. Are you lying to me?" The boy stared him straight in the eyes.

"No." _If he's lying, he's damn good at it. All sorts of criminals have tried it, and I've always been able to tell, before. _

"You don't want to betray me?"

"No, I don't." That was the utter truth. He hated having to betray Liam.

"What do you feel for me?"

"Admiration, respect. You are the most kind, gentle, honest, selfless person I have ever met." Again, all truth. "If I could fall in love with you, I would do it in a heartbeat." Again, he didn't seem like he was lying.

"I want to believe you, Thomas. God, I want to believe you **so** badly, but…ah…"

"I understand." _He's not even fighting for himself…at all,_ Liam mused._ Wouldn't he try at least a little. Of course, fighting it too much would be suspicious, but a little, even?_ He turned to Svetlana and walked over to whisper with her. Edward kept his eyes closed. _I swear, how did they even find me?_ He looked up to see Liam leaving.

"Svetlana's going to ask you some questions." Liam shut the door and suddenly Edward was alone with the woman.

"You know, I had my suspicions about you from day one, Edward Elric," she drawled. "That's why I got a picture of you running away during that job and sold it to the newspaper."

"You did…what?!"

"For this rebellion's sake, yes. And it seems I was right to." She moved forward, her form barely visible in the tiny amount of light that seeped in beneath the door. Edward shivered. He wasn't going to like this…

Liam was in his house, drinking, when there was an officious knock on his door. Groaning, he got up. _Better not be Roy_, he thought. But it wasn't. It was Svetlana with a much worse-for-wear Edward behind her. The man battled down pity he saw as he stared at the defeated, bruised, bloody boy following his second-in-command.

"He's proved to me his loyalty," the woman monotoned. Liam felt a flutter of hope well up in his chest.

"How?" The woman smiled thinly.

"That's for me to know and you to be glad you don't. Take him." She shoved the boy into Liam's arms. Edward groaned, wincing as pain seared through his body. The raven-haired man caught him against his chest, shocked.

"What did you do to him?"

"That was before I was convinced of his innocence." She cracked her knuckles and walked off. Liam pulled the boy inside gently.

"God, what did she do to you?"

"I'm fine," he muttered. "She was careful not to break anything, so it's just bruises. Before you ask, she made me promise not to tell you anything."

"Let's get you cleaned up and bandaged."

"Thanks. I'm sorry…Liam. I mean, I…" The teen hung his head, biting his lip. "If I were you, I wouldn't accept me back."

"Tom, everyone makes mistakes. Sveta is the most cynical, paranoid person I know. If you could prove yourself to her, then I am more than willing to accept you."

"Thank you." Edward flung his arms around the man, burying his face in his chest. Liam let out a sigh of relief, kissing the boy's head.

"Let's get you a shower." He helped the boy to the bathroom and left him to shower and come to bed. _How could he convince Sveta?_ He mused. _I can't imagine it. For her, a broken trust can never be fixed, right?_ He went to bed. _Should I even worry about it?_

Edward poked his head into Liam's bedroom. He'd used alchemy to fix his clothes and get the blood out of them. The man saw already asleep. Sighing, he slipped down the hall and out of the house via a back window, wincing as his battered body protested to any movement whatsoever. He headed towards the mayor's house, people as best he could. He was almost to the manor when he noticed Mustang sitting out on a hilltop, staring up at the sky. Steeling himself and prepared to dodge an attack, he approached the man.

"Mustang?" he whispered. Bright, grey eyes flew over to stare at him. In that instant, Mustang looked sad and hurt, but very quickly, the expression turned to fury. "Wait!" Edward hissed. "Look, I was undercover! This town so small, I couldn't have contacted you if I wanted to!" he hissed. "Can we go somewhere private?" Mustang stood.

"Fine. Come." The two of them headed back to the mayor's manor, and went in through a back door. "Now, explain everything," Mustang snapped.

"I came to infiltrate the group," Edward explained. "I told them I was Thomas Quinn, a runaway thief. I…I didn't tell anyone because I thought you'd tell me not to, and I couldn't pull off contacting you throughout, as you would've insisted. I needed to be completely believable. Give me four days and I'll have ended their threat."

"What's going down in four days."

"I can't tell you or you'll want to take action. We can't let on that you know anything. Right now, I confessed that I'm Edward Elric, but they think I'm a traitor."

"Maybe because you **stupidly** did something like that without telling anyone! Do you have any idea how worried Al was about you? And how we felt thinking that you'd…you'd left us." Edward sighed.

"By the time I realized I would be here so long, it was too late. Now, can you **please** try not to mess up my operation any further."

"How do I know you haven't betrayed me?"

"Because the only way to get Al's body back is through the Military. Besides, if I wanted to betray you, I wouldn't be here right now." Mustang was forced to concede the point. "Now, how do you and Liam know each other?"

"…Liam's my younger brother." Edward's jaw just about dropped off his face. "We were separated by the foster system, falling in and out of touch as we got moved from person to person. Look, did Liam do this to you?" Mustang's hand was surprisingly gentle on his cheek, his fingers tracing a bruise on his cheek.

"What? No! Liam wouldn't…"

"Yeah, I know he's got his pacifism thing…"

"It was Svetlana."

"That bear of a woman looks like she came from Drachma?"

"Yeah."

"I'll kill her."

"No! You do **anything** and this job goes down the tubes. I only endured all this so that I could get it back on its feet." Mustang's chest tightened painfully.

"Are you really in love with my brother?"

"W-with Liam? N-not really. I mean…no…no, not really."

"How far did you let him go for the sake of the job? You didn't need to-!"

"We just kiss and…wait! It's none of your, damn business!" _Why do I feel like I've been cheating on him? I owe nothing to Mustang! God, I'm getting all confused, again!_ "Look, if you have no more questions, I have to get back, now."

"Fine. Bye." Edward turned and snuck away. He sighed. This was bittersweet. While he wanted **not** to be wanted by everyone or dead, he also wasn't looking forward to betraying Liam. _Dammit. There's just no way to win, is there?_

* * *

Ah, the drama...and whatever else. poor...everyone. Yeah...everyone's got it rough, in this chapter. R&R please! :)


	9. Chapter 9

Edward sat in silence as they drove to South Central. He was still thinking about the conversation he'd had with Mustang the night before. The colonel had been unnaturally forthcoming with information about his past. They'd sat for more than an hour and a half talking about how they'd grown up in the foster system, how Roy had always acted as a guardian for his brother as best he could, how he used to get in fights to protect them but never wanted to worry Liam with it. They talked about the abusive parents and the neglectful ones and the good ones. They talked about what it was like to be separated and only able to worry about each other without contact for months, or even years, at a time. _At least Al and I never had to live like that,_ he thought. _And Granny and Winry took us in. I guess we don't necessarily have it that bad…_He sighed and cast an anxious glance at Liam, who glanced over and met his eyes, smiling.

"Don't worry, Thom. It may be a big job, but it's not that hard, if you think about it," he assured the boy, leaning over to kiss him swiftly. Edward forced a half-hearted smile.

"Thanks. It's just nerves, you know. How did you and your brother end up so different?" Liam shrugged, shaking his head sadly.

"I wish I knew. But we can talk about that later. Do you have any last minute questions about the operation?"

"No, I think I'm good." They fell into silence for the rest of the drive to the train station. They got out and headed towards their platform. "Hey, I'm going to use the restroom, I'll meet you on the train," Edward told Liam, patting his arm. The man nodded and went on without him. Now the boy ran back to where Svetlana was just getting ready to leave after dropping them off. "Hey, Sveta!" he called. She stopped, and he walked over to her.

"What is it?" she asked, rolling down her window.

"I think I left something in the trunk – mind opening it for me?" She sighed and got out of the van, taking the keys with her to open the trunk. Just as she got it about half-open, Edward came up behind her and hit her over the back of the head with his metal hand, hard enough to knock her out. Grunting with exertion, he caught her and tipped her forward into the trunk, Getting a rope out of the trunk, he securely tied her up before using alchemy to fuse the ends of the rope together. Then, he shut the trunk, leaving the keys in the lock, and went inside to make a call to the military headquarters before catching his train.

"South City Military Headquarters," a man's voice came over the receiver.

"Hey, I have a tip about a wanted criminal – one of the anarchists. Her name is Svetlana. She's in the trunk of a white van in front of the train station."

"May I ask who's calling?"

"The Fullmetal Alchemist. Identification code A42MBC7." There was a pause of silence as the secretary checked the code.

"Alright then. We'll send a team over. Will you remain on site?"

"No, I'm heading after another one of the group, now." He hung up and ran off. He got onto the train just as it started to move, and he let out a soft sigh. Half of him had wished he had missed the train. _Now comes the hard part,_ he thought. Honestly, he had no problem screwing over Svetlana. She had been nothing but cruel to him, even after she trusted him. But Liam…that was a whole different story. He forced a smile as he made his way towards the other man to sit beside him on the train.

"Wow, that was cutting it close," Liam noted. "I was beginning to get worried."

"Sorry, got lost on my way back from the bathroom – my brain's hardwired for Central City Station." Liam nodded sympathetically. "You nervous at all?"

"Not really. I've done scarier jobs. This one's fairly simple and easy, compared to some of the other things Sveta and I have pulled off."

"Well, I guess I'm probably nervous enough for both of us." Liam laughed softly, squeezing his hand reassuringly.

"Don't worry – it's normal." Edward glanced out the window. "Why don't you sleep – I'll wake you up when it's time. You were out late last night, weren't you?"

"Y-yeah…couldn't sit still. Nerves. I always get like this before something big." The teen rested his head against the cool glass, closing his eyes. Slowly, he took a deep breath, trying to calm his jumping nerves. Liam had a hand on his knee, rubbing small, soothing circles. Unsurprisingly, that didn't really help his guilty conscience. He slowly fell into a troubled slumber.

"Thom…it's almost time…" Liam's voice roused him from his slumber. Groaning, he opened his eyes. "There we are, sunshine."

"We ready?"

"Almost, let's get moving." They stood up, slowly making their way towards the back of the train. They were sent pitching forward as the train screeched in a rush to slow down. Liam caught Edward against his chest, holding him securely against his chest. "You okay?"

"Y-yeah." They continued through the cars until they got to the last passenger car, where they waited for the train to stop. Several guards got off the train to go outside, signaling it was time. Liam pushed open the door to the next car. There were four guards there.

"Hey! What are you-?" the man speaking was cut off by Edward's foot in his face. The Fullmetal Alchemist made quick work of the guards and tied them up while Liam went and opened the side door. He leaned out and peered down the road, frowning. They'd given Svetlana plenty of time to be there, waiting for them. So where was she?

"Tom, where's Sveta?" Liam asked. "She should be here with the truck by now. Did she say any-?" He turned to face the boy and froze. Edward's metal arm had been transformed into a long blade, which now was barely touching his throat. The boy stared up at him solemnly, his face pulled into a determined frown. A look of slow realization crept over the older man's face. "Sveta's not coming, is she?"

"She's tied up in the South City Station - the military probably has her in custody by now," Edward replied evenly.

"You fooled all of us...even when your cover was blown - how did you convince her?" Liam asked, a sad smile touching his lips. _I was so stupid,_ he thought. _After his cover was blown, I knew I couldn't trust him. I knew something was wrong, and I ignored it. Sveta was right – I did let my feelings for him get in the way._ Edward swallowed thickly.

"She seemed to think pain was some sort of motivator - that it could somehow make me reveal my true intentions. She was wrong. Pain is nothing," he replied. "I would have loved to join you Liam, but Al...Al needs his body back, and I can't do that with you. I need the military for that."

"Is all of Amestris worth Al's body, to you?" Liam challenged. There was no saving the mission, but that didn't mean he was going to forfeit everything without any sort of fight.

"Maybe, maybe not, but my responsibility is to Al, not Amestris. Besides you're wrong about Mustang. He will change Amestris. And…and I think he has a better chance of it – even if only minimally better – than your plan. It was good and it was admirable, but rebellions like yours…the Fuhrer would've crushed you like a bug, if he ever got around to seeing you as a real threat, which he would've if this operation had worked."

"So this is it? You've been snickering at us the entire time," Liam murmured, hurt and defeated.

"No! I never once laughed at you! I wept. This decision...has been one of the hardest in my life. Liam, I'm not saying there's no possibility of success your way, I'm just saying...you're too gentle. You let people use you. And you have no way of enforcing a better way. It just...it won't work, as much as I want it to."

"Yeah, I let people like you use me," Liam chuckled humorlessly, reaching out to touch Edward's cheek.

"I-I'm sorry. I know talk is cheap, and words don't help at all, but I don't have another choice. I have to do this for Al and…and for Mustang." The older man nodded sadly.

"I understand. Are you going to kill me?"

"No. I could never kill you. You really are the only person who's ever treated me as kindly as you have. If I could, I would gladly have fallen in love with you and stayed by your side regardless of the consequences."

"But you already love Roy."

"That and I need to do this...for my brother." Liam bowed his head.

"Looks like I've lost, then." Edward's lips tightened.

"You don't have to. I mean...you're getting away alive, Scott-free. Nothing can be proven against you. But please...please consider siding with your brother. He could use your support."

"He kills people! I can't forgive that!"

"He kills people so you don't have to." The older man's eyes widened in shock and confusion, but before he could ask what the teen meant, Edward was continueing. "Liam...I'm sorry. It's not fair of me to say this to you now, after all you've done for me. The colonel told me to turn you over to the military, but I'm not going to do that. I'm going to deny all knowledge of any illegal action you may or may not have committed, and I'm going to let you go." Liam couldn't help but offer a sarcastic chuckle.

"How kind of you." Tears filled Edward's eyes.

"I'm sorry. From the very beginning...I've felt horrible." Liam's thumb swiped away a tear that came rolling down the boy's cheek. "Am I doing the wrong thing, Liam?" The older man smiled gently.

"I can't answer that for you, Thomas. That's something only you can know for sure, but I don't hold it against you. If I were in your position, I'd have done the same thing. I've used and deceived people, too. I have never met someone with as good intentions as you, Tom - Edward. So don't be sorry. I'm not angry. I just want you not to suffer, anymore, so please don't cry."

"How are you not angry? I don't understand." In truth, Liam wasn't sure, himself. Logically, he knew he had every right to be angry, but he couldn't bring himself to hate the boy. Instead, he just felt a sort of calm serenity – perhaps he'd known this was coming, all along.

"I know you don't. I can't explain it. Just know that I'm not. I'm grateful for all you've taught me and the chances you've given me and this last opportunity, here and now...thank you, Edward Elric." The Fullmetal Alchemist battled down the urge to cry. "May I kiss you, one last time?" Liam asked. The teen nodded, lowering his hand. Liam slid his hand behind his neck and pulled him into a soft, tender kiss, holding him close. "I hope you find happiness," he whispered before he turned and left, disappearing into the wilderness beyond...

"Liam!" The man stopped in his trek through the woods, away from the train. He had been determined to get as far away from it as fast as he could. Now, it was sunset, the fading rays of light filtering dimly through the trees. Soon it would be dark, and he would have to find somewhere to hide for the night. "Liam!" He glanced over at the source of the voice.

"Roy." The man covered the distance between them in two strides and, came to stand in front of him, swallowing nervously. Despite his impassive mask being intact, the younger brother saw right through it. His eyes were a little wider than usual and his hands clenched nervously.

"I know we've had our differences, but parting the way we did…I never forgave myself," he admitted. "All I ever wanted was to protect you." Liam exhaled deeply. Of course, some part of him had already known this. He and Roy had, at one time, been extremely close. It was his brother's nature to protect the ones he cared about, and even if he had a weird way of showing it, Roy definitely cared about him. "Ed came and talked to me last night, and it got me thinking…that I don't want to miss my chance to make things right between us, if I can."

"But it won't stop you from putting down my rebellion." Mustang sighed, looking away uncomfortably.

"No, but…" Liam bowed his head.

"I know. Thomas – Edward told me everything. I think I understand. You have to do what you have to do." The older man sighed heavily. "Thomas – Edward mentioned something to me, in the train. He said you killed so I didn't have to. What did he mean?"

"O-oh…well, I always thought…if I could change the world, bring our dream into reality…you wouldn't have to get your hands dirty trying, you know? I thought if I could fight **for** you, you wouldn't have to. B-but it looks like I went about it all wrong, in the end." Liam bit his lip, nodding. Things had really gotten screwed up between them. His mind went back to his last words to his brother, before their ten year separation, Mustang had been 18, and he had been 15:_ What the hell are you doing, you traitor?! You're joining them! I hate you! I'll never forgive you!_ _You promised! We made a pact not to give in to **them**!_He couldn't even begin to describe how much he'd regretted those words, later, even if he didn't ever really forgive his brother.

"Are you here to put me into military custody?" he asked meekly. He doubted he could get away, now, if he wanted to.

"No, nothing of the sort," Roy assured him, startled by the accusation. As if he could actually throw his own brother into a military prison! "The only reason I wanted Fullmetal to capture you was so that I could fake your death and set you up somewhere else. We may not get along, but you're still my brother, and you're still very important to me." Liam gasped softly. Such blatant confessions were rare from his older brother. Then, he flung his arms around the slightly larger man, who stiffened at the sudden action.

"I'm sorry things turned out like this," Liam whispered into his shoulder. Mustang relaxed a little, putting his arms around Liam uncertainly.

"Me too."

"You know, Tom – Edward really believes in you."

"Does he? I think if anything, he'd like to support you more."

"That's true, he wants to support me more, but he doesn't think it would've worked, and there's his brother and…and you're the one he loves." Mustang drew back, his eyes wide.

"What?!" Liam blinked.

"You didn't know?" _Oops._

"He loves…how do you figure that?!"

"Well, the way he moans your name in his sleep is one thing to go by. But he's admitted it to me, so…I'm pretty certain, though I guess he could've been lying. He's awfully good at it."

"He said he…he loves me?"

"Yes, so you'd better take care of him, or I'll hunt you down and punish you." Mustang nodded slowly. _Oh, God, the situation just became so much more dangerous. If he returns my feelings…no, I can't…it would put both him and my mission in jeopardy. _

"You knew how he felt and yet you-?"

"I did what I did to help him. He was confused and in pain. I soothed him and gave him confidence to maybe, one day, aim for the one he truly likes. And before you ask, I didn't take his virginity. The furthest we'd gotten was oral."

"You what?!" Liam smirked. _Maybe a little jealousy will get his butt into gear._

"And if you don't intend to do anything about Edward, you can always send him to me." Mustang scowled. "Oh, I see. So you return his feelings. Well, I guess I've lost on all counts then, haven't I?"

"Do you really see it like that?"

"Is there any other way? It's alright, about Edward though. I just wanted him to be happy. He's already suffered so much."

"Y-yeah. Well, you'd better get going. Send me a letter when you get settled down. It's killed me…not knowing where you were or how you were doing for all this time." Liam nodded and turned to walk away. "Liam! I will do it, you know! I'll make our dream come true!" The younger man turned and glanced over his shoulder at his brother, and for the first time since they were kids, he believed him. He smiled sadly.

"I know you will."

* * *

Here is the adjusted version. No major changes, just hopefully a little smoother and easier to read. I think it's still kind of rushed, but maybe I'll work on it more later...R&R Oh, and a special thanks to DrummerDancer for the amazing review :)


	10. Chapter 10

Sorry for the wait on this update - but trust me, it's worth it! Anyways, I was gonna update this weekend, but then I was just really uninspired, so I had to wait. I wrote most of this at like...4 AM in the morning, so pardon me if there are some silly mistakes or something. Anyways, it should probably be 2 chapters b/c it's longer than I usually post, and I even have a good place to break, but here it is as one. Enjoy! R&R!

* * *

Edward sat in Mustang's office, writing his report. He'd gotten lectured by Alphonse the entire way back to Central City, and yet he hadn't really heard a word of it. His head was swirling as he fumbled through his memories, deciding what to put in his report. And now he was back with Mustang. He thought the time off would clear the matter – and it had – but it hadn't made things any easier. He let out a frustrated huff and forced another sentence out. He could feel the colonel watching him, and he wondered what was going through the other man's head. _What were the chances of that happening anyways – meeting Mustang's brother? I didn't even know he had a brother._

"Well, Sir, I'm off for the night," Hawkeye announced standing. The second she walked out that door, he would be alone with Mustang. Edward wanted to beg her to stay, but instead he just gritted his teeth and stayed silent. She strode across the room, paused in the doorway to glance back at the two of them, and then left. _Looks like I've really lost to Edward Elric,_ she thought for the millionth time. She'd realized the morning after her night with Mustang, that it was never happening again, even if she wanted it. It wasn't the fact that Mustang had gotten out of bed before her that tipped her off but rather the way he was back to being formal, before she even got her clothes back on. He was ready for them to be officer and subordinate, again. The barest trappings of hope for them that she'd kept locked within her had collapsed, and she gave up. Of course, she still wasn't sure how she felt about her commanding officer being in love with a boy – an under-aged boy who was also his subordinate, at that – but in the end, it wasn't her place to judge or speak her mind about it. With a heavy sigh, she headed home.

"Are you going to finish anytime soon?" Mustang asked a full five minutes after the door had swung shut behind his lieutenant.

"Um…y-yeah," Edward stumbled over his reply. "I just don't know…what all to say. You know I'm not good at these to start with."

"No arguments there."

"Hey!"

"I was agreeing with you. You brought it up." He sighed. "Well, keep it simple, and put as little self-incriminating information as possible. Oh, and you can leave out the fact that you were screwing with my brother."

"I wasn't!" Edward blushed bright red. Mustang regretted the words the moment they came out of his mouth. He didn't even know why he said them. They'd just slipped out before he could stop himself, and now there was this awkward silence between them, again. _Am I jealous?_ He thought. _It's not like I ever planned on making a move on him, so I shouldn't be, right? But still…to think they've already given each other head and…and everything short of actual penetration! I never thought Liam would ever make faster progress with a target…_he sighed and shook his head._ Edward isn't just some target. Dammit, I know he feels the same – Liam wouldn't lie about something like that – but what do I do about it? There's our jobs, the age gap, the fact that he's a minor…even if I can get past the fact that he's a boy. And what happens if I __**do**__ make a move and then can't stand sex with another man? How could I face him after that? Especially knowing that he's at least bisexual, and he's in love with me…Would he hate me? Would I be disgusted? Ah, maybe I should've taken this month off to try it with a guy? No…no that's just stupid!_

"Colonel, stop staring at me, it's unnerving," Edward's voice cut through his thoughts and he blinked, realizing for the first time that he'd been staring at the boy.

"Oh." He looked away. "Sorry. I didn't even realize. I was…thinking." The teen was already staring back down at his papers.

"Um, did you ever right things…with you brother? Because that…"

"We did. Thank you. Not that it's any of your business."

"Well, excuse **me** for trying to help!" Mustang knew why the Fullmetal Alchemist was getting defensive. He was feeling insecure and nervous. He was trying to make things normal, again. Mustang desperately wanted the same.

"When I want your help, Fullmetal, I'll ask for it," he replied, trying to sound cold. "Now finish your report, runt, so we can get-"

"Who are you calling so short he's not even as big as a flea?!" the blonde cut him off, outraged. The colonel smirked at getting the reaction he'd been looking for.

"I don't see anyone else in this room, shrimp."

"**Shrimp**?! You just try calling me that to my face, Colonel Bastard!"

"Do you want to stand on my desk or should I kneel, pipsqueak? You just set yourself up for that one." A wide smirk stretched over the Colonel's face as the boy ran up to his desk, fuming. However, just as he started to yell a retort, the older man cut him off. "You're supposed to be writing your report, Fullmetal."

"Why don't **you** write it, Jerkface?!"

"Because it was **your** mission, not mine, moron."

"Yeah, well maybe I should've **really** deserted! At least they treated me better, there!" Before he knew what he was doing, the raven-haired man was on the other side of his desk and grabbing the front of Edward's shirt and to pull him close, all humor in his voice completely gone in an instant.

"Never even **joke** about that!" he snarled. The younger boy froze, his eyes wide at the sudden proximity.

"Wh-who said I was joking?" he managed to croak out. Mustang felt a pang of hurt stab through his chest.

"Is that really what you mean, Fullmetal? Because I think if you **really** wanted to betray us – betray **me** – you'd have already done it. Besides, I'm the one you like, **right**?" Edward's eyes widened even further, if possible, and he shrank back.

"W-what? What makes you…think that?" _What's happening to me? All my self-control is slipping away. If I don't stop this right now…_

"Aren't I the one?" When the teen didn't reply right away, Mustang started to get nervous. _What if Liam was wrong?_ On an impulse, he pushed their mouths roughly together, pulling the teen closer by his shirt. At first, Edward was completely frozen in shock. _He's kissing me. He's not drunk. What do I do?_ He panicked inwardly. But his body was responding. He felt like he was in a dream, watching from the outside as his mouth returned the kiss of its own volition, his hands coming up to clutch onto Mustang's lapels. He couldn't close his eyes, they were still locked with the colonel's steely gaze, completely trapped. Unlike his previous kisses with Liam, this one was hard, almost bruising. It reminded him of his first two kisses with Mustang. Powerful, needy, demanding. He found himself going weak at the knees. _This isn't like kissing Liam,_ he thought dimly. There were, of course, some physical similarities, but they paled in comparison to the contrasting features.

The colonel's tongue forced its way into his mouth, causing him to gasp. One of Mustang's hands let go of his shirt and curled into his hair, tugging on his head to tilt it in order to better accommodate the kiss. At last, they parted, both panting slightly, eyes still locked. Edward swallowed hard. _Is that an invitation? Should I take it? What about his job? His mission? If he gets into something with me and then gets caught…_

"If you start something with me and then get caught-!"

"Then the obvious answer is not to get caught, because not getting into something with you is impossible, knowing you feel the same way," the older man cut him off.

"You say that like it's simple."

"It is. You want me, I reciprocate – ignoring it up until this point has failed miserably. That leaves us with two options. One, you get moved somewhere else and never set foot in Central City again – not possible, if you want to learn how to get Alphonse's body back. Or two, we give in and do our best not to get caught."

"I want that, but…"

"But you're insecure, because you're used to being the impulsive one, but for once you're being forced into being the voice of reason."

"S-something like that." Mustang nodded slowly, releasing Edward and taking a step back. "Mustang?"

"Leave for tonight. Come back tomorrow evening after work – we'll talk then, and I'll be rational. Okay?"

"O-okay."

"But I'm not mistaken?" Edward didn't reply, but his blush was answer enough. Mustang smiled a little as the boy ran off, slamming the door behind him, leaving the half-finished report on the desk.

24 hours later:

Mustang was sitting on the couch, sipping a glass of scotch to calm his nerves. He could really use a smoke, but technically smoking wasn't allowed inside the building. _Maybe I should've had him come to my house,_ the colonel thought. _No, if we were at home, there's no promising I could control myself._ The door cracked open and when Edward saw the room was empty save for the older man, it opened the rest of the way and the teen walked in. He shut the door behind him and stood there awkwardly.

"Have a seat," the colonel invited, patting the couch beside him. The blonde crossed the room and sat down as far away from Mustang as possible. "I won't bite."

"S-sorry." He inched closer.

"So, this is where we decide how to proceed. If you don't want this-"

"I do." Edward's boldness caught him off-guard. Then again, wasn't that the boy's trademark characteristic?

"Are you sure? I'm only a year short of being twice your age. I'm practically old enough to be your father."

"As if I'd care about something like that!"

"And we couldn't be public. Ever."

"Like I'd want to be! That's just embarrassing!" _True, I don't really see Edward as the PDA type of guy…_

"But we'd have to be very careful. Our meetings would have to be very confidential. And work may keep us apart for weeks or even months at a time."

"I know that, but isn't once in a while better than never?"

"I agree." Mustang forced himself to bury the urge to jump Edward's bones right then and there. He had to be the sensible, mature one.

"Can I have a sip of your drink? For my nerves?" the Fullmetal Alchemist asked suddenly, his tongue flitting out over his lips nervously.

"You're under aged," the colonel deadpanned.

"But I…it's not like I haven't tried it already."

"Liam let you-?"

"It's not like I got smashed or anything!" Mustang shook his head. He didn't want to talk about this.

"No. No under aged drinking. And I'm going to pretend that you haven't already had alcohol, okay?"

"It's not like your my father…"

"I'm not trying to be like a father, Edward. This is me caring about you – and the law."

"Anyways, so…"

"So if you want to proceed, I suggest we finish up your report and meet somewhere else a little more private."

"Okay." The colonel stood up and got Edward's report from his desk. The boy took it and started on it. "You know, I thought about what I was going to say all day today."

"You don't need to be nervous with me. You've got no one to impress."

"W-whatever."

"Because you already impress me. And you should know I put more weight on action then words." The teen flushed bright red and Mustang realized what he'd said had just been horrible misinterpreted. "Wh-what I mean is that you already impress me, Fullmetal. You don't need to do anything more to earn my respect. You did that a long time ago." The boy didn't reply in favor of scribbling furiously at his report. "So I'm going to go home, and you're going to go to your place."

"What? But-!"

"And then, forty-five minutes later, you're going to sneak out and come to my apartment building. You're going to go around to the back wall, climb up to the third row of windows, and mine balcony is the one on the far right corner, if you're facing the wall. I'll let you in. Okay?"

"O-okay."

"Make sure you're not seen or followed."

"I will." The colonel took a deep breath, watching as Edward continued to work. Steeling himself, he asked the question he'd been meaning to ask ever since his last meeting with Liam.

"Edward?" The boy blinked at the use of his first name. "Did anything happen…on New Year's Day? I mean, you started acting strangely after that, and it made me act strange, so…"

"You kissed me. But you were drunk, so I thought…I thought for sure you didn't want to, whether you actually felt what you confessed to feeling or not. Besides, I-I wasn't sure how I felt, at that point, and I was all confused because you'd been teasing me before. I thought it would be better if you never found out." _Oh yes, _Mustang thought._ He kept staring at me when I was in that suit. It was just a joke, but I wonder…_

"Ah. Sorry…for confusing you. I probably wouldn't have done anything if I wasn't drunk…so I guess I'm not that sorry." He chuckled weakly. "You done?"

"Yeah, just about…done." The blonde set down his pen, and the older man took the report and glanced through it.

"I'll read through it and file it tomorrow. Let's go." They left and each went their separate ways. Edward hurried to the hotel room he shared with his brother and came in.

"I'm back!" he called. Alphonse was sitting on the bed, waiting for him. The suit of armor stood as he came in.

"Welcome back, brother. What took you so long?"

"Ah, you know how the Colonel is about reports. He made me rewrite the whole thing!" the older brother invented.

"If you just did it right the first time, you wouldn't have to do it over again, you know," the younger chided. Edward agreed as he went to the bathroom.

"I'm going to shower." He shut the door and quickly stripped. _Are we going to actually do __**it**__ tonight?_ He wondered. _Will it be anything like my dreams?_ He wondered. _I mean, what will it feel like to have something up there?_ He squirmed. _In my dreams it feels good, but that doesn't mean anything._ He shook his head. _There's no saying we'll even get that far tonight, right? I don't even really know what I want!_ He ran his fingers through his hair, groaning as the scalding water pummeled his shoulders. _Calm down. You don't have to have a plan. Everything will work out, in the end._ In his head, he could imagine Roy doing the same thing he was. Maybe he was even feeling just as nervous? _Nah, probably not. He's had plenty of experience._ He squeezed some shampoo into his hand and began to lather it into his hair. _Maybe I'll even condition my hair – not that it will really make a difference. Man, maybe I should've bought my own soap so I wouldn't have to use this hotel stuff…_he scoffed again. _It's not important._ Still, he wanted to make a good impression. He wanted things to be perfect.

After his shower, he dried off – taking extra care to get his automail fully dried – and dressed into his usual outfit. He'd considered wearing something different, but after a month of being in disguise, he felt like he wanted his first night with Mustang to be as authentic as possible. After dressing, he dragged a brush through his hair, scowling that it was still a little wet, and braided it deftly.

"Are you going somewhere?" Alphonse asked as he threw on his jacket. "Shouldn't you be in your pajamas by now?"

"Um, actually…I've got something I have to do. I may not be back until tomorrow, okay?" Edward replied.

"Don't be late. I worry, you know."

"Thanks. I won't." Then, the teen slipped away. He strode down the street quickly, his eyes constantly scanning, searching for any sign of anyone following or watching him, but the street was relatively deserted, and he didn't see anything suspicious. When he got to Mustang's apartment building, he went around to the back and started to scale the wall to the balcony the colonel had said was his. When he got onto it, he found the sliding door open. "Colonel?" he called hesitantly.

"Come on in!" his commanding officer's voice replied from within the apartment. "Shut the door behind you, would you?"

"Sure." Edward replied, letting out a small sigh of relief. This was looking to be casual. Shutting the sliding door, he went inside, finding his way to the kitchen. He froze, his eyes wide. Mustang was standing by the dining table, which was set for two, dressed in that same outfit from the New Year's Party.

"Welcome," the colonel purred. Edward's mouth went dry. "I thought you might be hungry – though to be honest it's just takeout I put into real dishes." The older man offered him a charming smile, and the teen's legs almost turned to jelly. To hide his weakness, he sat down at the chair pulled out for him. "You're staring."

"Sorry!"

"Feel free. I did all this special for you, after all." Mustang sat down across from him. "Hungry?" Edward's stomach chose that moment to reply an emphatic yes.

"Um…sorry."

"Don't be. It would be a shame if I bought this food for nothing," the black-haired man chuckled as he served them both. Amestris's youngest State Alchemist couldn't tear his eyes away from the man across from him as he ate. He just looked so…dashing. And flashes of all those dreams kept rising before his eyes. Before he knew it, the meal was done and Mustang was standing. "Leave the dishes for now."

"Okay." The boy now followed his older lover-to-be to the couch and sat down nervously.

"Relax. There's no pressure, you know," the colonel assured him. Edward made a weird noise in the back of his throat. _He's got it wrong. It's not that I feel pressure to do something, it's more like I __**want**__ something to happen and I don't know what to do to make it happen!_ "May I kiss you?" Edward nodded, trying not to seem too enthusiastic. Mustang leaned over and placed a soft kiss on his lips. And that's what caused the teen to snap. Suddenly, the Colonel found himself being shoved back into the couch as Edward swung around to straddle his lap, kissing him deeply, sucking his tongue into his mouth. After a moment of frozen shock, Mustang began to return the kiss eagerly, his tongue mapping out every surface of the younger's hot, wet cavern. Edward bit the colonel's lower lip, pressing his body flush against Mustang's.

"Don't make me wait," he whispered. He shivered violently as the other man's large, warm hands pushed away his coat to bare his arms then hastily slid up under his shirt and removed it as well. The callouses on his fingertips sent tingles through his whole body as they explored the scarred union or steel and flesh. He gasped and arched as a hot, wet mouth followed where the hands had started. His hands came up to thread into Mustang's hair, curling there loosely to keep him grounded. A shameful little whimper rose from his throat as the man's teeth began to toy with a single, pert nipple. It turned into a full-out moan when the colonel began to suck on it and lave it with his tongue, all the while smirking mischievously.

Edward untangled one of his hands to loosen Mustang's tie, but he didn't take it off, choosing instead to pop open the first three buttons of his dress shirt. _God, formalwear look so hot on him,_ he thought weakly even as the older man scooped him up and carried him to the bed, crawling on top of him.

"You know," Mustang admitted as he sprinkled kisses all up and down the younger's neck. "I was determined not to push you any faster than you want to go in this relationship. I didn't even dare hope that we'd get this far." He nibbled lightly on Edward's ear. "And I think it was really hot when you pushed me back and kissed me like that. I love your dominant streak." Edward pulled him into another kiss.

"Pillow talk can wait," he hissed. Mustang grinned and slid his hand down between his lover's legs.

"Mmm, I see a certain part of you isn't as small as it used to be," he snickered, squeezing the bulge in the front of Edward's pants.

"I-I'm not…small!" the teen panted out obstinately. In an instant, Mustang had the boy's pants undone and cast across the room – he'd worry about where they ended up later. The boxers were quick to follow and the colonel's smirk grew. He flashed Edward a sultry glance and then glanced back down at his erection.

"Cute," he commented.

"Hey, I-AGH!" Any protest Edward was trying to say was completely obliterated when the colonel bent down and engulfed the boy's manhood entirely in his mouth and throat, sucking powerfully. "Mustang! Ah! Roy!" A shiver of delight ran down the older man's spine as his younger lover called him by his first name. He sucked harder, bobbing his head up and down. Each time he came up, he pushed his tongue into the slit at the head and each time he went down, he trailed his tongue down the underside. Edward's hands were fisted in his hair, almost painfully tight, but he didn't mind in the least. "Roy! I-I'm gonna…ah! I…ROY!" Hot seed filled Mustang's mouth and it was all he could do not to choke. Reaching over to his nightstand, he got a tissue and spit out the salty, bitter liquid in his mouth. "Sorry, I-!"

"No. It's fine." Now his smile faded a tiny bit. "Um, I've…I've never done it with a guy, but I think I'm supposed to stretch you a little first. Otherwise, I don't see how it's going to fit…" Honestly, Roy wasn't sure if it would fit, either way. "And I think we're supposed to use some sort of lubricant." The blonde blushed heavily, his cheeks flaring bright red. "Wait here a moment." The colonel got up and went to go find something he could use to make things easier. He'd gone through the effort, last night and earlier that day, to do a little research, just in case, but he hadn't prepared thoroughly because he didn't anticipate getting this far this fast. Not that he was complaining. _Why don't I have a single bottle of lotion in this place?_ He mused as he dug around in his bathroom. He didn't like the idea of shoving soap up someone's backside, so if possible, he wanted to find something else. _What about cooking oil?_ He went to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of olive oil from the pantry. _I'll have to go buy something for next time…if there is a next time. He could hate it. Or I could, though I'm not having a problem getting turned-on,_ he thought, noting the uncomfortable tightness of his pants.

When he came back, he found Edward waiting for him, sitting up on bed. Mustang smiled and set the bottle of oil on the nightstand, kissing the boy reassuringly. The teen responded eagerly, wrapping his arms around Mustang's neck.

"Don't be so nervous. It's going to be fine," he whispered. "I have it on good authority that you're an expert in the sex department."

"A-and who's authority would that be?"

"Half the women of Central City, of course." Even as Edward said it, he felt himself growing a little jealous. Of course, he'd known that there was no way Mustang was a virgin, so it wasn't like he was expecting to be the man's first, but still, he couldn't help but think that the more experienced man might get bored or tired of his own lack of skill. Mustang kissed him again, chuckling.

"Don't look so down when you say that, Edward. You're the one I'm with, now. Right?" The Fullmetal Alchemist nodded. Licking his lips nervously, the older man grabbed the bottle of oil and poured a generous amount into his hands, rubbing it over his fingers thoroughly. "Ready?" he asked. Edward nodded. "Try to relax." He spread the boy's legs and experimentally rubbed his finger up against his twitching entrance. Edward exhaled deliberately, consciously trying to relax his muscles as one finger slid in. "How is it?" Mustang asked.

"It's fine." The colonel began to wiggle his finger around, pushing lightly on the walls. _This is so strange,_ he thought, but for some reason, it was making him incredibly hall. _It's so hot and tight inside him._ "Ah!"

"What?"

"Y-your finger brushed something. F-felt good." Mustang frowned slightly, moving his finger around some more. "Th-there!" The colonel rubbed the indicated spot, again. "You're just…ah…just barely touching it…" Deeming the boy ready – because he had to get this going before he came just from hearing Edward's voice – he withdrew his fingers and pushed two in again. The teen gasped slightly. "It's actually…it's not as bad…as I thought…it would be." Mustang chuckle and began to stretch the boy steadily until there was room for a third finger. "Ow…"

"Should I stop?"

"No! No, no! Don't stop." Smiling, Mustang continued until he felt he'd done all he could with his fingers.

"Edward, can I…?"

"Y-yeah, but can you…leave the outfit on…as much as possible?" The older man chuckled and undid his pants, pulling them and his underwear down enough to free his erect member. "W-wow…"

"Look what you've done to me, Edward. Without even touching me." The older man grabbed Edward's flesh hand and pressed it to his chest. "Feel what you do to me, here, too." The teen took Mustang's hand and placed it on his own chest to reveal his own fluttering heartbeat. The black-haired man took a deep breath and slowly, slowly started to push in. The look of pain that crossed over his smaller lover's face was instant as he cried out in shock at the pain. "Should I-?"

"Don't you dare stop, now!" Edward cut him off, gritting his teeth. "It will get better. I want to do this, and I want to do it with you. Only you." Mustang slid forward another few centimeters then stayed still, then again, then still again, then moving forward. Until he was settled fully inside the boy's body. Once there, he stayed still, despite his own need to just hammer into the that tight hole.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah it's…it's fine. Just give me a moment." Mustang nodded and wrapped his hand around the boy's now limp member, pumping it back to life. Slowly, the pain was replaced with a feeling of fullness and Edward began to feel impatient for more. He shifted his hips experimentally and his older lover's shaft hit that spot within him again. He gasped. "Move!" he cried, gasping again when Mustang began to rock in and out, continuing to rub against that pleasure point inside him. "Ahhh!" Slowly, the older man began to lengthen his thrusts until he was pulling all the way out before sliding back in. Edward bucked his hips up to meet the next thrust, forcing him harder against that spot. Mustang took that as an invitation to start increasing the force of his thrusts.

"It's so good inside of you, Edward. So hot and tight and…perfect," he whispered breathily. Edward moaned loudly, throwing his head back and wrapping his legs around Mustang's waist to urge him deeper.

"Ah! R-Roy!"

"Is it good for you too?" the colonel asked, though the answer was obvious. Edward tossed his head from side to side in ecstasy.

"Yes! Yes! Roy!" He could feel the silk sliding against his sweat-soaked skin, it was amazing. With Mustang's musk filling his nose, the feel of him all over him inside him, hands everywhere at once, lips on his neck and shoulder, it was going to be over soon. There was no way he could last when the experience of all his dreams about Mustang combined paled to nothingness in comparison to the real thing. He threw his arms around the man, clinging to him for dear life as jumbled syllables poured from his lips.

"Oh, Edward," the older man groaned softly. "I can't last long with you…like this…around me," he panted.

"C-Come inside…please?" The raven-haired man kissed Edward passionately, his thrusts becoming uneven and jerky as he neared his climax. Judging from the spasms running through the teen, he was close too. Determined to finish him first, Mustang reached between them and began to stroke him hard and fast. Edward arched and screamed as he exploded into Mustang's fist. The colonel was only a moment behind him, letting out a low groan as he shot off his load deep into the body beneath him. He supported himself on his forearms over the boy as they panted, staring at each other, as they came down from their highs.

"W-was it good…for your first?" Mustang asked shakily, pulling out and wrinkling his nose at the mess they'd made.

"Amazing…" Edward replied, not looking inclined in the least to move. But Mustang was already getting out of bed.

"Let's get cleaned up. I'll change the sheets and then we can go to sleep," he murmured. Grumbling something about ruining the mood, Edward got up and followed his lover to the bathroom. He yawned expansively as they got in the shower and washed off quickly. He was barely even conscious as the older man rubbed him down and turned off the water, not even bothering to dry either of them off before leading him back to the bedroom. Mustang then changed the sheets, tossing the dirty ones into the washing machine. Satisfied, he slid into bed with the teen and wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close.

"Never pegged you for a cuddler," Edward mumbled sleepily, his eyes already closed. The colonel chuckled.

"I dunno, usually it's a bit of a necessary chore – women like that crap, but…maybe now I understand why. It's nice, at least with you it is." The teen nuzzled his face into Mustang's bare chest. They were both still wet from the shower and completely naked. It was surprisingly comfortable. Then again, Edward already knew he liked being in Mustang's arms – not that he'd **ever** admitted that. From the few times he'd hugged the bigger man, he knew that being so close to the older man made him feel safe in a way no one else did. It made him feel like he didn't have to do everything on his own. He moved closer, curling his automail leg around Mustang's before falling blissfully asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

Hey, everyone. I'm sorry, but is removing some of my stuff, so I am moving my stories to a new site. I'll try posting on this site to finish this story, but it could get taken down at any time. The new site is www. adult - fanfiction .org (don't forget the hyphen and remove the spaces) I'm sorry for how long this update took, I had a lot of stuff going on and then I just couldn't write this chapter to my satisfaction. In fact, i still don't like it, but oh well. Here it is. Sorry it's so short!

* * *

Edward's eyes fluttered open, and he found himself staring at a broad, tanned chest. For a moment, he thought he was still dreaming. Then, that body shifted and a hand trailed up his spine. He turned his gaze up to meet the eyes of Lieutenant Colonel Roy Mustang. He swallowed hard. _We did it,_ he thought. _Last night. For real._

"Good morning," the colonel murmured, toying with Edward's golden locks. "How are you feeling?" The boy shifted experimentally.

"A little achy but…but…I feel really well-rested and…warm." He sat up, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. "How about you?"

"Fantastic." The younger State Alchemist turned to stare out the window. "Do you want me to get us some breakfast?" He nodded. "Do you…regret it?"

"No! I-I mean, you've got everything to lose. Me? I don't have any danger, really."

"Your job."

"I can always claim you're forcing me."

"But you wouldn't do that." Edward blushed. "Are you sure you're okay with this."

"Yes. I'm sure. I want this…th-that is if you do."

"I wouldn't have done this in the first place if I weren't certain. I want you." The teen nodded and Mustang got up to dress and make breakfast. Slowly, Edward climbed out of bed and pulled on his clothes. Coming out into the kitchen, he found Mustang there, making eggs.

"What do we do now?" he asked meekly. "I mean, how do we keep it separated from work? I mean, when you're fighting criminals on the streets, I'll be worried sick about you, and…I don't know." The older man put the eggs onto a plate and set it on the table, sitting down. Edward joined him, gnawing his lip anxiously.

"It will take work, for sure, but it's a matter of discipline. I'm not saying things will be the same – they won't be – but we have to be careful. I think it's best we are extra careful not to have any physical contact at work, and for the moment let's try to keep things as professional as possible." Edward nodded. "And we'll meet in secret. Once you get older, we can go out drinking together without arousing suspicion. It won't be easy, so if you want to stop, now…"

"It's too late for that. I-I mean, if I wanted to not do this, last night was the point of no return." He took a bite of eggs.

"Sorry, I'm not much of a cook."

"It's fine. So, um, what serious relationships have you had before? I mean, I know you've had a lot of flings, but…have you ever had, I don't know, someone you were really serious about, before?" he asked.

"No. I haven't been really serious about anyone before. I mean, if I was worried a serious romantic relationship would develop, I avoided them."

"Why?"

"I don't think my job makes me a good partner. I didn't want to put that on anyone. But I couldn't stay away from you, no matter how hard I tried. Especially once my brother told me how you felt-"

"He **told** you?!" Edward blushed brightly.

"Aren't you glad for the outcome?"

"Yes, but-!" the boy gave an exasperated groan. "I'm so embarrassed!" Mustang chuckled.

"Don't be. You've no need to be embarrassed about how you feel…or about being a horny teenager."

"What?! What exactly did Liam tell you?!" The older man grinned mischievously. "He told me you moan my name in your sleep." The teen's face transformed into the picture of mortification, his eyes growing wide, his cheeks bright red, his mouth agape.

"H-he told you that?! I-I mean…I…I didn't even know…" He buried his face in his hands. "I wonder how much Al knows. I mean, if I've actually been moaning your name, there's no way he doesn't have suspicions right?"

"I'd assumed you'd talked to him about it, already."

"Of course not! He think I'm in love with Winry! How could I possibly tell him that I'm not only not in love with Winry but that I don't even like girls, and I'm actually in love with **you**?!" The boy gasped at his confession, clapping a hand over his mouth. "I-I mean…um…I mean…"

"I love you too," Mustang murmured, taking pity on the boy. The Fullmetal Alchemist stared at him, his golden eyes glued to his face. "I know it's not fair that I haven't said it yet."

"You did, technically…New Years Eve…"

"But I mean while sober and everything." He took the boy's hand automail and kissed it. "So I'll say it again. I love you, Edward Elric." Then he dropped the hand and sat back. "Don't expect to hear it too much. I won't risk telling you that where anyone could possibly hear."

"How often can we meet?"

"Twice a week is the most I feel comfortable with, right now. And it's probably the most you could get away with before your brother gets suspicious of something. Though…are you really going to hide it from him?"

"I just don't know how to tell him I'm gay. I feel like I'd be disappointing him." Mustang frowned slightly.

"Your brother loves you. He wouldn't think less of you for being gay. He'll accept you for who you are."

"I mean, I know that, but it's still…I mean, until New Year's Day I didn't even realize it myself! You know?" He sighed.

"I didn't realize I was bisexual until I realized I was in love with you, either," Mustang supplied, trying to ease the boy's mind.

"When did you fall in love with me?"

"Long before I realized it. I think it must have been when I saw you on your first mission. Remember, you came with me on that raid on that gang base in East City? Seeing you fighting was like…getting a glimpse at your soul. I could see your tragedy, your determination, you strength, your pain…everything. And the more I thought about you and the more I got to know you, the deeper I fell. I definitely admired you from the start, though. From the first time I saw you, broken and battered in your grandmother's bed, more of you bandaged than not. Despite looking so fragile, you looked so strong. I could tell right then that you were a survivor."

"W-well, it wasn't like dying was an option. I couldn't leave Al alone. And I have to get him his body back," Edward mumbled, embarrassed.

"Then you went and got your automail and…I'd never seen anyone as strong as you. And on top of that, you made that vow to never kill anyone and all this time you've stuck with it. The military ruins people, dehumanizes us, but you…you've preserved your humanity. Honestly, Edward, there is nothing about you that I dislike. You're honest, brave, strong, empathetic, determined, honorable, realistic, brilliant, kind…you're my ideal."

"What about being sarcastic and rude and a whiny brat?" Mustang grinned, laughing.

"Well, you're all of those things too," he admitted, amused by the teen's immediately defensive response as he yanked back, glaring angrily. "But I don't mind it. You're feisty and sure, you're not refined, but I don't think that's such a bad thing." The boy reluctantly quit sulking to go back to eating. "So when did you fall in love with me?"

"I don't know! I-I think it was…gradual, maybe. I mean, you've always been…kind of amazing, even if you are a smug bastard."

"I'm glad you think so." Edward stood up.

"I should get back."

"What are you going to do about Al?" The teen sighed. "Do you want me to come with you when you tell him? I mean, whenever you do. You have to eventually."

"Yeah. C-can we give it some time? Maybe three months just for me to get used to…us. Then I'll tell him. I promise." Mustang nodded and stood, following Edward back out to his balcony. The boy jumped off, landing catlike in the grass below, wincing. With a wry smile and a wave, the teen walked off, a hand rubbing the small of his back. The colonel smiled, leaning against the rail. _Is this how Hughes felt with Gracia?_ He wondered. A chuckle escaped him and he shook his head, straightening and heading inside to get some work done. He wasn't about to become one of those ditzy, love-struck buffoons he hated so much.

Edward went back to the hotel to find his brother waiting for him. Alfonse was in the living room, playing with a kitten he'd picked up somewhere. He looked up as the older boy came in.

"Hi! You're back!"

"Yeah."

"Where were you all night?"

"Working."

"Really? Wow! Mustang sure is working you hard, recently!" Edward blushed slightly, remembering their quite passionate night.

"U-um…he's probably just getting back at me for not telling him the plan down in Sanctuary."

"You should have told us!"

"I know."

"You've been awfully secretive recently."

"I just didn't know it was going to take so long. I didn't want the truth getting to the rebellion in Sanctuary, so I thought the fewer that knew the better. That included you and Colonel Mustang."

"But we were really worried about you, Ed! You have to be more considerate to the rest of us! I thought they'd hurt you!"

"Sorry, Al. How many times do I have to apologize before you forgive me?" The younger brother sighed.

"I have forgiven you…mostly. Just don't do that, again."

"I won't. Um…I have something kind of weird to ask you."

"What?"

"Have I been…talking in my sleep at all?" Edward blushed, looking away. "I mean, have I…said anything weird in my sleep?"

"I don't think so. You moan sometimes, but I haven't heard anything intelligible. Why?" Relief washed through the alchemist.

"Just curious. I mean, I've just been having some weird dreams."

"About what?"

"Life. You know…the military…I don't know. Th-they're kind of…vague," Edward mumbled. Alfonse made a soft "huh" that made it clear he knew his brother was hiding something, but he chose not to pursue the subject.

"So how did your work go, last night?"

"F-fine. I mean, i-it's kind of a long-term project, so this might happen a couple times a week, okay?"

"Okay…" Edward sat down on the bed and flipped open a book, burying himself in it. Alfonse watched him, stunned. Whatever secret his brother was hiding was really big if it made him voluntarily read a book. Especially one he'd already read. Edward wasn't exactly the most studious of people. _What is it you think you can't tell me, Ed?_ The younger boy wondered sadly. He liked to think that his brother told him everything. With a sigh he determined he'd get it out of him later and returned to playing with the kitten he'd picked up on his walk last night.


End file.
